수상전투함 미해군, HII와 FF(X) 호위함 조달 계약 체결

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When Computers Went To Sea | 미해군 신형프리깃 FF(X) 플라이트1에는 VLS가 없다. - Daum 카페

미해군 신형프리깃 FF(X) 플라이트1에는 VLS가 없다.

When Computers Went To Sea | Re: 능력에서 조달이 우선이 된 FF(X) - Daum 카페

Re: 능력에서 조달이 우선이 된 FF(X)

When Computers Went To Sea | FF(X) 제원 공개 - Daum 카페

FF(X) 제원 공개

미해군이 HII와 2억 8,290만 달러 규모로 HII와 FF(X) 호위함 조달 계약을 지난 화요일 체결했습니다. 2027년 1척, 2029년 1척, 2031년 2척 구매 예정이며, 1번함이 2028년 진수 예정이고, 일부(?)의 희망섞인 예상과는 달리 HII 단독으로 공급한다고 합니다. 

해군, HII 잉걸스 조선소에 2억 8,290만 달러 규모 FF(X) 호위함 계약 체결
작성자 Mallory Shelbourne
2026년 4월 28일 오후 6시 36분 - 2026년 4월 29일 오후 3시 28분 업데이트

개념적 FF(X) 호위함 설계도. 해군 이미지

이 기사는 FF(X)급 선도함 일정에 대한 추가 정보를 반영해 업데이트되었다.

해군은 해안경비대의 국가안보절단기(NSC)를 기반으로 한 새로운 호위함 개발을 위해 HII 잉걸스 조선소에 선도 조선소 작업을 수행하는 2억 8,290만 달러 규모 계약을 화요일에 체결했다.

국방부 발표에 따르면 해군은 해당 계약을 경쟁 입찰 없이 체결했으며, 작업은 2028년 4월까지 완료될 예정이다.

이번 계약은 전 해군장관 John Phelan이 지난해 컨스텔레이션급 호위함 프로그램을 취소하고, 잉걸스에서 건조된 NSC 레전드급 선체를 기반으로 한 새로운 호위함 개발을 추진하기로 결정한 이후 이루어졌다.

지난주 공식 발표된 2027 회계연도 예산안에 따르면 해군은 2027년에 FF(X) 1척, 2029년에 1척, 2031년에 2척을 구매할 계획이다. 해군은 선도함을 2028년까지 진수하기를 원하고 있으며, 이에 따라 단일 공급 방식 전략을 채택했다고 예산 문서에 명시되어 있다. 해당 함정이 해군에 인도되는 가장 빠른 시점은 2030년 6월로 예상된다.

“선도 조선소 지원 계약은 양산을 위한 설계 작업을 완료하고, 장기 소요 자재를 확보하며, 신속한 건조 전환을 가능하게 하는 사전 생산 활동을 수행할 것이다,”라고 문서는 설명한다. “이후 첫 두 척에 대해 단일 공급 방식 건조 계약이 체결될 예정이며, 세 번째 이후 호위함은 경쟁 방식으로 조달되어 여러 조선소에서 생산을 확대하고 조선 산업 기반을 확장할 것이다.”

HII 최고경영자 Chris Kastner는 2025 회계연도 실적 발표에서 잉걸스 조선소가 미시시피주 파스카굴라에서 건조 예정이었던 NSC-11 취소로 남은 자재를 보유하고 있다고 밝혔다.

회사는 화요일 보도자료에서 “이번 계약에 따라 잉걸스 조선소는 첫 번째 호위함의 주요 구조 기초와 전체 건조 일정 계획을 지원하기 위해 원자재 절단 및 성형 작업을 시작할 것”이라며 “이 새로운 접근 방식은 설계에서 생산으로, 그리고 향후 산업 기반 전반으로의 원활한 전환을 가능하게 할 것”이라고 밝혔다.

화요일 해군 해양 프로그램 획득 책임자는 개조된 NSC 설계를 기반으로 한 FF(X) 호위함의 렌더링 이미지를 공개했다. 해당 설계에는 상부 구조물 전방에 추가된 돌출 구조, 약 57mm 주포, 미사일 기반 근접방어체계, 그리고 후방에 16기의 해군 타격 미사일을 탑재한 구조가 포함된 것으로 보인다.

“향후 후속 형식에서는 수직발사체계와 대잠전 능력 등 확장된 기능이 검토될 것”이라고 2027년 예산 문서는 밝혔다.

렌더링에는 컨테이너형 플랫폼을 갖춘 중형 무인 수상정 두 척도 포함되어 있다. 최근 예산 요청에 따르면 FF(X)의 요구 사항에는 로봇 자율 시스템과의 통합이 포함되어 있다.

해양 프로그램 획득 책임자 사무국은 “우리 팀은 조선 파트너들과 협력해 필요한 프로그램의 인도를 가속화하고 있다”며 “이번 잉걸스 조선소 계약은 설계 마무리, 장기 소요 자재 확보, 그리고 신형 호위함 건조를 위한 사전 준비 활동을 지원할 것”이라고 밝혔다.

Navy Awards $282.9M FF(X) Frigate Contract to HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding - USNI News

Navy Awards $282.9M FF(X) Frigate Contract to HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding - USNI News

Navy Awards $282.9M FF(X) Frigate Contract to HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding

Mallory Shelbourne

April 28, 2026 6:36 PM - Updated: April 29, 2026 3:28 PM

Notional FF(X) frigate design. Navy image

This story has been updated to include additional information about the timeline for the lead ship in the FF(X) class.

The Navy issued HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding a $282.9 million contract award Tuesday to do lead yard work for the new frigate based on the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter.

A Pentagon announcement noted that the Navy did not compete the contract and said the work should wrap up in April 2028.

The award comes after former Navy Secretary John Phelan cancelled the Constellation-class frigate program last year and opted to pursue a new frigate based on the NSC Legend-class hull built at Ingalls.

The Navy’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget submission, formally unveiled last week, projected the service purchasing one FF(X) in FY 2027, another in FY 2029 and two in FY 2031. The service wants the lead ship in the water by 2028, which is why it pursued the sole-source strategy, according to the FY 2027 shipbuilding justification documents. The soonest the ship would deliver to the Navy is in June of 2030.

“The Lead Yard Support contract will complete design work for production, procure long lead material including pre-production efforts to enable rapid transition to construction,” reads the documents. “Sole-source Construction contracts will then follow for the first two ships. The third and following Frigates will be procured with a competitive strategy that will increase fielding rate to the fleet through production at multiple shipyards and expanded [sic] the shipbuilding industrial base.”

HII chief executive officer Chris Kastner told investors in February during the company’s last Fiscal Year 2025 earnings call that Ingalls had material left over from the cancelled NSC-11 ship it planned to build at its yard in Pascagoula, Miss.

“Under this contract, Ingalls Shipbuilding will begin cutting and shaping raw material to support future phases of work on the main structure foundation and the overall construction sequencing plan of the first frigate,” the company said in a Tuesday news release about the lead yard award. “This new approach will enable a smooth transition from design to production at Ingalls Shipbuilding and eventually across the industrial base.”

On Tuesday, the new Program Acquisition Executive for Maritime released a rendering of the proposed FF(X) frigate based on the modified NSC design. The rendering features an additional bumpout forward of the superstructure, what appears to be a 57 mm main deck gun, a missile-based close-in weapon system and racks to the aft with 16 Naval Strike Missiles.

“Studies for future flights will consider expanded capabilities including Vertical Launch Systems, and Anti-Submarine Warfare systems,” reads the FY 2027 budget documents.

The rendering includes two notional medium unmanned surface vessels with containerized platforms. Part of the requirements for the FF(X) include integration with robotic autonomous systems, according to the recent budget request.

“Our PAE Maritime team is continuing to work with our shipbuilding partners to accelerate delivery of needed programs,” the office posted on its Facebook page. “Today’s award to HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding will support our ability to finalize the design, procure long lead time materials, and begin pre-construction activities on our new class of frigates!”

Mallory Shelbourne

Mallory Shelbourne is a reporter for USNI News. She previously covered the Navy for Inside Defense and reported on politics for The Hill.
Follow @MalShelbourne