Managing large projects (see Chapter 3) is usually a difficult task. And this is certainly true in the case of the U.S. Navy’s construction of the new frigate, the USS Constellation. Physical construction of the ship began in mid-2022, and after more than 2½ years, the project is only 10% complete, reports The Wall Street Journal (March 22-23, 2025).
At this pace, including the 2 years of design time before building began, the ship will be completed in a total of 9 years—around twice as long as it took an Italian shipyard to build the vessels it is based on. The Constellation, the first in what is expected of 20 to be built, will cost $600 million more than its original estimate of $1.3 billion.
Most countries are faster at building. Of 20 different frigates made recently or set for completion soon in 10 different countries, all but one were or will be built in less time than the Constellation. (Frigates are the medium-size warships).
The Navy has made so many changes in the Constellation that a ship that was supposed to share 85% of the design of its Italian parent now has just 15% in common. “We have an insatiable demand for capabilities at times…we struggle to say stop,” says a Navy administrator. More changes came as the building progressed. The overall changes caused the ship to gain weight, to 10% above the initial plans. That means the Constellation will be slower than the original design for the ship.
U.S. naval shipbuilding has fallen behind in some key metrics. In the 2000s, attack submarines that used to take 6 years to build now take 9, and aircraft carriers that used to take 8 years now require 11. The delays have contributed substantially to massive cost overruns, only 1/3 of which can be attributed to shipbuilding inflation.
The Navy complains U.S. shipyards don’t invest enough in staff and equipment, much of which is decades old, some harking back to before WW2. Shipyards also struggle with labor shortages, especially in the skilled trades.
Classroom discussion questions:
- Summarize why U.S. shipbuilding projects do not meet project schedules.
- If you were project manager for the Constellation, what might you do differently?