Fincantieri Marinette Marine awarded two additional Navy frigates

Credit: Fincantieri Marinette Marine

The Department of Defense recently announced that Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wis., was awarded a contract valued at a billion dollars (USD) to build two additional Constellation-class Frigates, FFG 66 and FFG 67.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine received the contract for the lead ship of the Constellation-Class in April 2020, and since the Navy has exercised five options for follow-on vessels. This two-ship option is valued at $1,044,529,113, per the Pentagon announcement.

The lead ship, the future USS Constellation FFG 62, is under construction now at the newly revamped Wisconsin shipyard. With five ships waiting to be built and contract options for four more vessels, Fincantieri looks to be busy for years becoming the international reference point for small surface combatants.

“The team at Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG) is committed to support the U.S. Navy, and the Constellation program will be the centerpiece of our portfolio for decades,” said Marco Galbiati, CEO of FMG. “Along with our partners and suppliers, we are going to deliver world-class warships.”

Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest and most diversified maritime companies, employs more than 21,000 shipbuilding professionals in 18 shipyards on four continents. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group. This company, which serves commercial and government customers, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri ACE Marine) located in Wisconsin on the Great Lakes.