Checklist: Outline the project and its job impact; explain the new Frigate class and timeline; highlight military and industrial advantages; preserve key quotes and details; underscore American manufacturing and national security benefits.
The Trump administration is following through on a promise to revive American manufacturing by launching a major naval shipbuilding program that creates jobs and strengthens national defense. The Department of the Navy has announced a new Frigate class to be built in U.S. shipyards, pushing production timelines and relying on domestic supply chains. This move is framed as a direct effort to put “steel in the water” fast while rebuilding the industrial base.
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan publicly declared the plan, setting a clear target: the first hull in the water by 2028. That timeline signals urgency and a wartime mindset toward production, designed to accelerate output and increase fleet capacity. The announcement stresses the use of an American design, American shipyards, and an American supply chain to deliver combat power quickly.
“I have directed a new Frigate class as part of President Trump’s Golden Fleet,” Phelan said. “Built on a proven American design, in American shipyards, with an American supply chain, this effort is focused on one outcome: delivering combat power to the Fleet fast.” The statement ties this program to a broader industrial strategy aimed at ending dependence on foreign suppliers for critical defense platforms. It also frames the effort as accountability for results rather than endless contract delays.
The Secretary emphasized speed and scale. “We will deliver on a wartime footing, and we will unleash the American industrial base to do it,” he said. “Competition. Accountability. And real output. Steel in the water.” Those words are meant to convey both urgency and a change in procurement culture, pushing shipbuilders to prioritize throughput and reliability. The goal is a fleet that can respond to global threats without being slowed by supply chain gaps.
Officials chose a proven hull to shorten development time and reduce technical risk by basing the new frigate on an established cutter design. “To deliver at speed and scale, I have directed the acquisition of a new Frigate Class based on HII’s Legend Class National Security Cutter design,” Phelan added. Using a fielded design allows quicker ramp-up across multiple shipyards and leverages existing logistics and maintenance knowledge.
Admiral Darryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, framed the requirement in hard, operational terms tied to recent threats. “Recent operations from the Red Sea to the Caribbean make the requirement undeniable,” Caudle said. “Our small surface combatant inventory is a third of what we need. We need more capable blue water small combatants to close the gap.” That blunt assessment points to a capability shortfall this program intends to fix.
Caudle also highlighted force posture and fleet priorities. “And keep our DDGs [Guided Missile Destroyers] focused on the high-end fight,” he added. By fielding more frigates and small surface combatants, the Navy aims to allocate its larger, more costly vessels to contested, high-end missions while smaller ships handle persistent presence and regional security tasks. This approach preserves advanced assets while expanding operational reach.
There is a clear emphasis on domestic industry resilience. “That’s why this is an American design,” Caudle continued. “Backed by American workers. American suppliers. And an established logistics and maintenance network. So, wherever this ship sails, when the American flag goes into port, it does so with American industry firmly behind it.” The rhetoric reinforces the political promise of revitalizing U.S. manufacturing and keeping defense production sovereign.
Phelan made clear the ships will be built across multiple U.S. shipyards to speed delivery and distribute economic benefits. Building in multiple yards creates competition, expands workforce demand, and hardens the supply chain against single-point failures. It also aligns with a policy preference to see industrial capacity spread across regions, creating jobs in coastal communities and supporting an ecosystem of suppliers.
The new frigate program replaces a troubled effort that had run into development problems and schedule slips. Two ships from the previous program remain under construction, but the remaining planned hulls were canceled and are being replaced by this new class. The pivot shows a willingness to cut losses on programs that do not meet expectations and to reallocate resources into a faster, more reliable path.
This shipbuilding push is pitched as both economic and strategic policy: it creates American jobs while answering real-world naval needs. By accelerating production on an American design and focusing on domestically sourced materials, the administration seeks to demonstrate that defense investments can deliver measurable industrial and security returns. The program is positioned as a tangible fulfillment of promises to bring manufacturing back home and to rebuild U.S. military readiness.
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