Frigate program delayed as shipyard is a ‘few hundred’ workers short
By Megan Eckstein
Thursday, Jan 11
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s first Constellation-class guided-missile frigate will arrive late amid workforce shortages, a program official said Thursday.
Fincantieri’s Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin won a contract in April 2020 to build the first 10 ships. Construction on the first frigate began in September 2022, and four ships are now on contract.
The yard is a “few hundred” workers short, Andy Bosak, the deputy program manager, said in a presentation at the Surface Navy Association’s annual conference, although he declined to say exactly how much it would delay the program.
“Much like the rest of industry … we are working on increasing the ship workforce, both the blue-collar and white-collar workforce,” he said.
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2024/01/11/frigate-program-delayed-as-shipyard-is-a-few-hundred-workers-short/