[15] The U.S. Navy announced the FFG(X) frigate project in the United States Department of Defense's Request For Information (RFI) in July 2017.

[15]: 8  The RFI says, "A competition for FFG(X) is envisioned to consider existing parent designs for a Small Surface Combatant that can be modified to accommodate the specific capability requirements prescribed by the U.S.

"[14] The U.S. Navy wanted a frigate that could keep up with the aircraft carriers and have sensors networked in with the rest of the fleet to expand the overall tactical picture available to the group.

"[14] In January 2019, the U.S. Navy announced that the new frigate will have a minimum of 32 Mark 41 Vertical Launch System cells aboard the ship for primarily anti-air warfare for self-defense or escort missions.

[20] The new propulsion system will be required to be tested on land in order to reduce the risk of engine failure, which has plagued the previous littoral combat ship (LCS) program.

According to the Congressional Research Service, ongoing concerns include LCS survivability in a conflict, their limited armament, and their ability to complete the missions they were designed for.

[3] These shipbuilders were Austal USA, Fincantieri Marine Group, General Dynamics, Huntington Ingalls Industries, and Lockheed Martin.

[7][3] Ship designs from these five shipbuilders were evaluated by the U.S. Navy to inform the final specifications that would be used for the FFG(X) request for proposal in 2019, and the intended contract award in 2020.

[27] On 2 April 2024, USNI News reported that the Constellation class frigates were delayed by three years, due to issues concerning shipyard backlogs and a lack of skilled workers.