The U.S. Navy is going to construct a new class of small, more rapid combat vessels to address the gaps in surface combatant capacity.

The Navy Secretary John Phelan said that the first ship of the new future FF(X) frigate class will be launched in 2028.

The ship’s design will be similar to the US Coast Guard’s Legend-class National Security Cutter, which is operational and constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Phelan said that the program has received approval from President Trump and the Secretary of Defence as part of the government’s Golden Fleet Initiative.

According to the U.S. Navy, the FF(X) is a flexible, multi-mission platform designed to complement larger warships, particularly guided-missile destroyers.

The new ships will be able to conduct surface warfare missions, transport modular payloads, and operate unmanned systems, a few of the many other tasks they will be delegated.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle stated that recent deployments, including operations in the Red Sea and the Caribbean, have highlighted the Navy’s need for more adaptable small combatant ships.

Caudle added that their small combatant inventory is a third of what is needed.

He added that there is a need for more such ships to close the existing gap and to keep the destroyers on the ‘high-end fight’ zones.

FF(X) is based on a successful cutter design, a decision to reduce costs and design risks, as well as to get the hulls in water in no time.

A 2025 report by the Government Accountability Office highlighted the issues faced by U.S shipyards, including ships being delivered up to 3 years late and performance issues in vessels that had already undergone trials and entered operations.

The first ships of the new class will be delivered by a lead shipyard, followed by multiple yards producing the class.

Phelan said that shipbuilders will be judged based on how quickly they deliver usable combat power.

He added that shipyards will be tested on the basis of how quickly they deliver combat power to the fleet.

Navy leaders stated that the ships will be designed in such a manner that they will be adaptable and follow a model similar to the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which have seen continuous upgrades over time.