U.S. Navy Considers South Korean, Japanese And Turkish Frigates For New Warship Class

The U.S. Navy is considering frigate designs from South Korea, Japan and Türkiye for a new class of U.S. warships.

The designs being considered are South Korea’s Chungnam-class guided-missile frigate, Japan’s export version of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ FFM Mogami-class guided-missile frigate, and Türkiye’s Istanbul-class guided-missile frigate.

The Turkish design came under consideration after Turkish leaders spoke with President Donald Trump about it on the sidelines of the NATO summit in July, according to two sources.

In August, the White House issued a memorandum using a “national security interest” waiver. This allows the Pentagon to consider foreign designs despite U.S. laws that restrict foreign-built warships from entering U.S. naval service.

After the memorandum, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao directed the office of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition William Mahan to oversee a study of international combatants, ro/ro cargo vessels and consolidated cargo replenishment at sea, tankers for the Military Sealift Command.

The study is due on Nov. 12, 2026.

The Navy is looking at ways to get ships built faster while also investing in U.S. shipyards, transferring technology and expanding the workforce, Flanders said.

First Ships May Be Built Abroad

One option is known as the “Finland model”.

Under this approach, the first one or two ships would be built at a foreign shipyard. Foreign companies would then invest in U.S. shipyards and shipbuilding facilities, with production later moving to the United States.

The U.S. Coast Guard is using a similar approach for its Arctic Security Cutter programme. Finnish shipyards are building the first hulls based on Canadian designs before construction moves to a U.S. shipyard.

South Korean Chungnam-Class Frigate

South Korea’s Chungnam-class is one of the designs being considered by the U.S.

South Korea is building six Chungnam-class frigates. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is building the lead ship. SK Oceanplant is building three, while Hanwha Ocean is building the other two.

U.S.-South Korean shipbuilding ties have also grown.

South Korea committed $150 billion to the U.S. shipbuilding sector as part of a total $350 billion investment pledge under last year’s bilateral trade and investment deal.

U.S. officials from both the Biden and Trump administrations have visited South Korean shipyards.

Japan and Türkiye Designs

Japan’s export version of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ FFM Mogami-class guided-missile frigate is also being considered.

Türkiye’s Istanbul-class guided-missile frigate is the third design under review. Several Turkish shipyards are building the class.

The Navy looks for a frigate that can take on some missions now carried out by larger destroyers.

Why the US Navy Needs Frigates?

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers are built for high-end naval warfare.

But Navy leaders say these destroyers are often used for basic missions that could be handled by less sophisticated frigates.

The Navy has changed its frigate plans in recent years.

Late last year, then-Secretary of the Navy John Phelan cancelled the Constellation-class, or FFG-62, guided-missile frigate programme.

He instead pushed the FFX programme, which would create a patrol frigate based on the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter.

HII Ingalls Shipbuilding has started pre-production work on the first FFX frigate but has not received a contract.

Congress Could Block Foreign Construction

Congress could still limit the administration’s use of the national-security waiver.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s fiscal 2027 draft defence policy bill removed the waiver.

The House Armed Services Committee’s draft included an amendment that would stop authorised funds from being used for contracts to buy an American warship built at a foreign shipyard.

The final legislation has not been released.

The fiscal 2027 budget proposal also included an Office of Management and Budget-led effort to look at foreign warship designs.

The reconciliation portion included $1.85 billion for a foreign warship design study. The study focused on buying warships from Japan and South Korea.

The future of that reconciliation submission is uncertain.

The U.S. has already used a foreign frigate design for a domestic programme.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin is building the Constellation-class frigate based on the FREMM multi-purpose frigate. The design is widely exported and is used by the Italian and French navies.

References: koreaherald, USNI