The US Department of Defense released a Request for Information (RFI) in July this year to let the industry know what the U.S. Navy is expecting from the Fast Frigate, Guided (Experimental) or FFG(X). The RFI says, "A competition for FFG(X) is envisioned to consider existing parent designs for a Small Surface Combatant that can be modified to accommodate the specific capability requirements prescribed by the US Navy."



The U.S. Navy wants a frigate that can keep up with carrier strike groups as well as conduct missions on its own. “The FFG(X) will normally aggregate into strike groups and Large Surface Combatant led surface action groups but also possess the ability to robustly defend itself during conduct of independent operations while connected and contributing to the fleet tactical grid.” The U.S. Navy expects the frigate to be survivable in complex scenarios: "FFG(X) will perform its missions in complex electronic warfare and anti-ship missile threat environments".



The new Frigate would likely replace the troubled, very modular, Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) for typical "frigate missions". The U.S. Navy is requesting the FFG(X) to conduct the following missions:

- Over the horizon anti-surface warfare (ASuW )

- Anti-submarine warfare (ASW)

- Independently escort logistics ship convoys

- Electronic warfare (EW)

- Electronic signals intelligence and collection (ELINT)



The frigate displacement isn't mentionned in the RFI, but it is likely to be comprised between 4000 tons (if the design is to stay as close as possible to the LCS) and in excess of 6000 tons (in view of the requirements set by the U.S. Navy, which is particularly interested on how the shipbuilders can fit VLS for ESSM and Standard Missiles and how many).









Possible European designs:

European shipbuilders that we contacted used broad terms such as "we are looking at the RFI", "we are considering the opportunity", "we are considering the option" or "we are debating it internally". The U.S. Navy intends to award a Detail Design and Construction contract for the first FFG(X) in 2020. The full RFI can be found at this link. European shipbuilders that we contacted used broad terms such as "we are looking at the RFI", "we are considering the opportunity", "we are considering the option" or "we are debating it internally".

While none of the four companies which talked to us went into specific ship design, here is our own speculation on the likely frigate designs to be proposed, should these companies answer the RFI.