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Fmm News

15 Apr 2024

Keel Laid for US Navy's First Constellation Frigate

(Photo: Fincantieri Marinette Marine)

The U.S. Navy on Friday celebrated the keel laying of the lead ship of the Constellation class of guided-missile frigates, the future USS Constellation (FFG 62), at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wis.Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti participated in the ceremony along with Wisconsin governor Tony Evers and Fincantieri Marine Group CEO Marco Galbiati.Hundreds of FMM shipbuilders gathered with guests inside the shipyard’s massive new climate-controlled Building 34…

19 May 2023

Fincantieri Awarded Contract to Build Fourth Constellation-class Frigate

(Image: Fincantieri)

Marinette, Wis. shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) has been awarded a $526 million contract to build a fourth Constellation class frigate for the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Defense announced. The contract for the lead frigate and nine option ships, signed in 2020, has a cumulative value of $5.5 billion, including post-delivery availability support and crew training. FMM received the $795 million contract for the first frigate in the Constellation class program…

22 Mar 2023

MTU Gensets Ordered for US Navy's Second Constellation Class Frigate

(Image: U.S. Navy)

The Power Systems division of Rolls-Royce has been selected to supply a further four of its mtu naval generator sets for the USS Congress (FFG-63), the second ship in the U.S. Navy’s Constellation Class Guided-Missile Frigate program, previously known as the FFG(X) program. Rolls-Royce has made significant investment at its production facilities in Aiken, S.C. and Mankato, Minn. to support the program and manufacture the gensets in the US.Rolls-Royce is currently supplying mtu gensets for the lead ship in the Constellation Class program…

31 Aug 2022

Fincantieri Marinette Marine Starts Frigate Construction

(Image: Fincantieri Marinette Marine)

Fincantieri Marinette Marine announced on Wednesday that it has officially started construction on the U.S. Navy’s first Constellation-class guided missile frigate in Northeast Wisconsin.The future USS Constellation moved into the next stage of development as shipbuilders began cutting steel for the ship with members of the Navy, representatives of elected officials and community leaders observing this material start to a class of ships.Two years ago the Navy selected FMM to design and build the Constellation-class frigate…

08 Aug 2022

Shipyards Adapt to help Navy, Coast Guard Recapitalize Fleets

The first Offshore Patrol Cutter, USCGC Argus (WMSM 915) takes shape at Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s Panama City, Fla., shipyard.  The Coast Guard plans to build 25 OPCs. (ESG photo)

U.S. shipyards are making improvements to building ships for the Navy and Coast Guard today and in the future. In some cases, it means phasing out one class of ship and getting ready for the next. Or, it can be a drastic make-over.The yards include mid-tier yards all the way up to very large facilities devoted exclusively to warships. The ships range from the 353-ton Fast Response Cutter to the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin…

28 Jul 2022

US Navy: Building Small Combatants to Create Force Structure and Capability

The Littoral Combat Ship has been made more lethal with the addition of the Naval Strike Mis-sile, seen here installed on USS Charleston (LCS 18).   (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign James French)

The U.S. Navy needs more ships. And that means the Navy has to build more ships than it is decommissioning.The sea service has a stated a goal of 355 ships, and as many as 500 and more when unmanned platforms are counted. There are 298 ships in the fleet today. For surface ships, this number includes a high-low mix of highly capable large surface combatants, and smaller ships such as littoral combat ships LCS).The Navy’s smallest combatants are the 330-ton, 197-foot coastal patrol boats (PCs). Up until recently, ten of them have been serving in the Middle East with the U.S.

16 Jun 2022

Fincantieri Marinette Marine Awarded Contract for Third Constellation-class Frigate

(Image: Fincantieri Marinette Marine)

The U.S. Navy announced Thursday that Fincantieri Marinette Marine is on contract to build a third Constellation-class Frigate, the future USS Chesapeake.This announcement follows last month’s successful critical design review of the first-in-class FFG-62, which is nearing the start of construction. The value of this contract option is approximately $536 million.“We are pleased with the award, and our focus remains on working with the Navy to build the best frigate in the world…

09 Mar 2022

Fincantieri Marinette Marine Dedicates New Construction Facility

(Photo: Fincantieri Marinette Marine)

Leaders from Fincantieri Marinette Marine, the U.S. Navy, and Wisconsin-based Miron Construction dedicated a new facility at the Marinette shipyard with a small ceremony Mar. 8, 2022.Employees and guests gathered to open the newest building at the Marinette shipyard, Building 35, where giant plates of raw steel begin the journey to become a U.S. warship. The 32,000 sq. ft. building is connected to a new panel line where steel is prepared, marked, cut, and welded on an automated assembly line complete with state-of-the-art robotic welders.

16 Feb 2022

Shipbuilding: Fincantieri Marine Group Invests Mightily to Deliver for the US Navy

Fincantieri Marinette Marine rendering with completed construction and FFG-62 on shiplift. Photo courtesy FMG

When he served as the commander of NWSC Carderock, Mark Vandroff woke every morning knowing that his counterpart in China had just gone to bed and had spent that day trying to make China’s Navy superior. His job, he figured, was to “get cracking and work to make our Navy even better.” Now the CEO at Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), Vandroff brings that passion for navy shipbuilding – and delivering on the new USN Constellation-class frigates contract – to work every day.Introducing a new class of warship usually comes with a heaping helping of pain, from cost overruns to technical glitches.

11 Nov 2021

U.S. Navy: Constellation-class Brings Frigates Back to the U.S. Fleet

Artist’s concept of the new Constellation class of guided missile frigates.  (Fincantieri Marinette Marine)

Introducing a new class of warship can be fraught with pain, and the first ship is always the hardest – almost always behind schedule and over budget. And trying something new and transformational is even harder.The U.S. Navy knows this from experience. That’s one reason why the Navy is opting for a lower risk design for its next class of guided missile frigates (FFGs).Just about every new class has experienced a rough start. Although the USS Arleigh Burke-class of guided missile destroyers (DDGs) today represent the largest and most successful class of warships…

14 Jun 2021

Fincantieri Marinette Marine Names Vandroff CEO

File photo: Littoral combat ship USS Indianapolis (LCS 17) is moved from an indoor production facility in Marinette, Wisc., to launchways in preparation for its upcoming launch into the Menomenee River. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Fincantieri Marinette Marine by Val Ihde)

Fincantieri Marinette Marine and its board of directors announced that Mark Vandroff will be taking over as CEO effective July 7, replacing Jan Allman who has led the Wisconsin shipyard since 2014.“Our company’s continued growth afforded us an opportunity to expand our senior leadership team and to better organize to exceed our customer’s needs,” said Dario Deste, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group. “Jan [Allman] has done a tremendous job working with partner Lockheed Martin and the Navy on the Littoral Combat Ship and Multi-mission Surface Combatant programs…

20 May 2021

Fincantieri Marinette Marine Awarded Second Constellation-class Frigate

Constellation-class Frigate (Image: U.S. Navy)

The Department of Defense announced Thursday that the Navy is exercising a $553.8 million option to have Fincantieri Marinette Marine build the second Constellation-class frigate.The Wisconsin shipyard is currently working with the Navy on the detailed design phase of building the first-in-class USS Constellation (FFG-62), a modern guided-missile frigate based partially on the Italian FREMM. Fabrication is planned to start at the end of this year, and the ship is expected to deliver…

11 May 2021

MTU Gensets Chosen for US Navy Frigate Program

(Image: Rolls-Royce)

Rolls-Royce said it has been selected to supply its mtu naval generator sets for phase one of the U.S. Navy’s Constellation (FFG-62) class frigate program, previously known as the FFG(X) program. Rolls-Royce has received a contract for the first shipset to provide four mtu naval generator sets, each rated at 3,000 kWe at 1,800 rpm.Construction on the first ship is expected to begin later this year after Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) of Marinette, Wis. was awarded the build contract for the project in 2020…

19 Apr 2021

PA6B Engine Shipped to FMM for Install on Royal Saudi Navy Ship

Photo courtesy Fairbanks Morse

Fairbanks Morse shipped a PA6B STC engine to Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) shipyard on April 16, 2021, an engine will be installed on the first ship of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) project. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the MMSC project, and the vessel is being constructed by its partner FMM in Marinette, Wisconsin. Four MMSC ships will be constructed at FMM.

09 Feb 2021

Fincantieri Building Up Ahead of Constellation Frigate Builds

From left: Corey Brumbaugh, Miron Construction; Jan Allman, CEO, Fincantieri Marinette Marine; Steve Genisot, Mayor of Marinette; Dario Deste, President and CEO, Fincantieri Marine Group; Uriah Wolfe, Graef; Vice Adm. (Ret.) Richard Hunt, President, Fincantieri Marinette Marine; Andy Heimbuch, President, Boilermakers Union, Local 696 (Photo: Fincantieri Marinette Marine)

U.S. shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine is gearing up to build the U.S. Navy's new guided missile frigates, welcoming key leaders to Marinette, Wis. Tuesday to break ground on the largest building in the shipyard's history.The multimillion dollar building is part of the company’s most recent $200 million shipyard capital expansion underway to support construction of the U.S. Navy's newest class of ships.Fincantieri Marinette Marine was awarded the contract in April 2020 to design and build the first Constellation-class guided missile frigate, with options for up to nine additional ships.

29 Oct 2020

Thrustmaster to Equip US Navy’s First Constellation-class Frigate

An artist rendering of the guided-missile frigate FFG(X). The new small surface combatant will have multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare and information operations. (U.S. Navy graphic)

Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. said it has been awarded a contract from Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) for the design, development and manufacture of the auxiliary propulsion unit (APU) on the U.S. Navy’s future guided missile frigate (FFG 62). Thrustmaster will be supplying the complete APU package consisting of the 1MW retractable azimuthing thruster, controls, prime mover electric motor, variable frequency drive and steering and retraction power unit. The APU package will…

08 Oct 2020

Fincantieri Marinette Marine Buys a Pearlson Shiplift

Photo illustration of the shiplift with the soon-to-be built USS Constellation. (Image: Fincantieri Marinette Marine)

Fincantieri Marinette Marine is gearing up to build the recently named Constellation Class Frigates and other larger ships, having recently signed a contract with Pearlson Shiplift Corp. to design and build a state-of-the-art shiplift system in the Marinette, Wis. naval shipyard.Scheduled to be completed in 2022, the shiplift will give FMM the capability to launch and retrieve larger vessels that will be produced in the shipyard. This more controlled and gentle launch method allows future ships…

29 Jun 2020

Austal USA Delivers USS Oakland, the US Navy's 300th Ship

The future USS Oakland (LCS24) is the 12th Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship to be delivered by Austal USA (Image: Austal)

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Oakland (LCS 24) Friday during a ceremony at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. The delivery marks the final milestone prior to the ship's scheduled commissioning in early 2021.Oakland is the 22nd littoral combat ship (LCS) and the 12th of the Independence variant to join the U.S. Navy fleet. Its delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy, bringing the service's inventory up to 300.“This is a great day for the Navy and our country with the delivery of the future USS Oakland,” said LCS program manager Capt.

06 Feb 2020

St. Louis Delivered to U.S. Navy

The consortium consisting of Fincantieri, through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), and Lockheed Martin Corporation has delivered the future littoral combat ship USS St. Louis, LCS 19, to the Navy.St. Louis is the 10th Freedom-class ship, and the 19th littoral combat ship of 34 planned by the Navy. Independence-class LCS vessels are also underway.The Fincantieri and Lockheed Martin team is currently in full-rate production and has delivered ten ships to the U.S. Navy to date. There are currently six ships in various stages of construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine.The construction contract for the LCS Program Freedom-variant was awarded to FMM in 2010…

27 Dec 2019

Fincantieri Marinette to Build Saudi Warships

USS Detroit (LCS 7) (U.S. Navy Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin-Michael Rote)

A Lockheed Martin-led team has secured a multibillion dollar order from the U.S. Navy to build four Multi-Mission Surface Combatants ships for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of the U.S.’s Foreign Military Sales program.Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), who has been working with Lockheed Martin, naval architect Gibbs & Cox and more than 800 suppliers in 42 states for the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, said it will build the ships at its Marinette yard in Wisconsin.

01 Nov 2019

FMM, Vigor Deliver Response Boats to Bahrain

Photo: FMM

Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) and Vigor (Team RB-M) has announced the delivery of the first three on a six vessel RB-M contract to the US Coast Guard. The boats are part of a Foreign Military Sale to The Kingdom of Bahrain’s Coast Guard. Hulls four through six are expected to ship in 2020. A total of 182 RB-Ms have been built by Team RB-M.FMM was the prime contractor and program manager. Vigor fabricated the vessels at its Seattle, Washington facility using high temp resistant aluminum.

07 Feb 2019

LCS Billings Delivered to U.S. Navy

Within the Littoral Combat Ship Program (LCS), the consortium consisting of Fincantieri, through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), and Lockheed Martin Corporation, has delivered “Billings” (LCS 15) to the US Navy at FMM’s shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.The Fincantieri and Lockheed Martin team is currently in full-rate production and has delivered eight ships to the U.S. Navy to date.There are currently six ships in various stages of construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, with two more in long-lead production.The construction contract for the LCS Program Freedom-variant was awarded to FMM in 2010, within the partnership by Lockheed Martin…

21 Jan 2019

Fincantieri to Build LCS 31

File photo: Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, USS Detroit (LCS 7), built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine (U.S. Navy photo by Michael Lopez)

The U.S. Navy has awarded a shipbuilding contract to a consortium consisting of Fincantieri, through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), and Lockheed Martin Corporation, to build an additional vessel as part of its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program.LCS 31 will be the 16th Freedom-variant LCS, one of the U.S. Navy’s main shipbuilding programs. The Fincantieri and Lockheed Martin team is in full-rate production of the Freedom-variant, and has delivered seven ships to the U.S. Navy to date.