Surface fleet expansion for 2019

Flag officers commanding the Navy’s surface fleet have outlined plans to further strengthen the capabilities and firepower of its fleet. The Navy has some 480 ships in the active and reserve fleets. Some 70 more ships are in the planning, ordering stages, or under construction. There are 174 commissioned warships in active service. The Navy also has 71 operational subs. 2019 is a critical year for the Navy's next generation of guided-missile frigate (FFG(X)). The Navy is expected to finalize requirements for FFG(X) in the next several months, and to put the first hull out for bid for a 2020 detailed design and construction award. Five ship designs will compete in the Navy’s bid for 20 (FFG(X), which is to follow the LCS. Five shipbuilders were awarded $15M contracts each for conceptual designs. The Navy intends to have a final Request For Proposal in 2019; and a contract award-winner in 2020. The five shipyards were Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Bath (Maine) Iron Works, Fincantieri Marine and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) of Pascagoula, Miss. Work on the Future Surface Combatant (FSC), a sensor-packed warship that is to combine the capabilities of a cruiser, destroyer, and LCS, should begin to move forward in 2019. The Navy will begin its buy of the cruiser-destroyer replacement by at least 2024. FSC is envisioned as a large warship that will support the Arleigh Burke Flight III combat system and will combine elements from the Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) and Zumwalt-class. (Source: Business Times 01/03/19) HII-Pascagoula started fabrication of the first “Flight III” Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), last May.