Navy Awards HII $283 Million Contract to Kick Off FF(X) Frigate Construction

The U.S. Navy has awarded HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding a $283 million contract to begin lead yard support work for the Navy’s new FF(X) frigate program, marking a major next step in the service’s effort to accelerate delivery of a new class of small surface combatants. 

The contract covers long-lead material procurement, design work and pre-construction activities for the first ship, while also allowing Ingalls to begin cutting and shaping raw material as the program transitions from design toward production.

The award is one of the first major contractual moves since the Navy’s December 2025 decision to base its next-generation frigate