Big Navy Frigate Risks Oversized $1.4 Billion Cost Per Ship
- Price may be 56% higher than estimate, research service says
- Frigate is successor to small, vulnerable Littoral Combat Ship
This article is for subscribers only.
The Navy truncated orders for its ill-fated Littoral Combat Ship because the small vessels were vulnerable to attack and too lightly armed. Now, a new report suggests that the frigate intended to replace it may cost 56% more than projected partly because it’s bigger.
The service projects that 18 of 20 new frigates will cost an average of $940 million each in inflation-adjusted dollars. The first two are estimated at about $1 billion each because of one-time costs.