Construction on the Navy's first Constellation-class frigate officially begins today as the Navy looks to the small combatant to model conditions-based maintenance for the rest of the surface fleet. The lead ship Constellation (FFG-62) is the first Navy vessel with conditions-based maintenance designed into the program. The future frigate will have the tools to monitor equipment, predict failure and provide an analytic basis for when it needs maintenance, according to Rear Adm. Casey Moton, program executive officer for unmanned and...
