Top admiral, Navy acquisition executive validated FFG(X) requirements

The chief of naval operations and the Navy's acquisition executive recently validated the requirements for the future frigate, according to service officials.

Validating the requirements is significant because the Navy has touted its engagement with industry this past year throughout the process.

"The frigate process is a new process for us. We brought industry in early to discuss how these requirements may play out, using their expertise to, really, discover the art of possible before we set the requirements," Vice Adm. William Merz, the Navy's top requirements officer, told the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee yesterday.

Navy acquisition executive Hondo Geurts said the service remains on track to publish a draft request for proposals to industry in the spring, and a final RFP at the end of the fiscal year.

Although the Navy is holding a full and open competition to design and construct the next frigate, the service previously awarded multiple contracts to five major shipbuilders to mature their designs.

The Navy expects to award a construction contract in fiscal year 2020, and purchase 20 ships.

Geurts said in May, prior to the FY-19 defense policy and spending bills being enacted, that he did not believe Congress adding two Littoral Combat Ships more than the service requested would change the number of frigates the service procures, Inside Defense reported. He affirmed yesterday that is still the case when asked by reporters.