Ezell Applauds Navy Investment in Ingalls Shipbuilding to Advance Next-Generation Frigate Program

<p>Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04) welcomed the <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4472473/contracts-for-april-28-2026/">U.S. Navy’s announcement of a $283 million contract award to HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding Division in Pascagoula, Mississippi</a>, to support the development of the Navy’s next-generation guided missile frigate program.</p>
<p>The contract will fund long-lead time material procurement, continued design adaptation work from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Legend-class National Security Cutter to the Navy’s FF(X) platform, and initial pre-construction activities for the first ship.</p>
<p><em>“This is a major win for Mississippi and for our nation’s maritime strength,”</em><strong>&nbsp;Ezell said. </strong><em>“Ingalls Shipbuilding has long been a cornerstone of our shipbuilding industrial base, and this investment reinforces its critical role in delivering the next generation of naval capability. It also means good-paying jobs and continued economic growth for our region.&nbsp;Ensuring our Navy has the ships it needs to meet evolving threats starts with a strong industrial base. This program will not only strengthen our national defense, but it will also expand shipbuilding capacity across the country through a competitive, distributed approach.”</em></p>
<p>The award represents a key step in accelerating the Navy’s frigate program, with plans to move forward with full construction of the first two ships later this year, pending congressional authorization and appropriations.</p>
<p>The Navy has indicated it intends to transition to a competitive procurement process for future frigate orders, leveraging Ingalls’ leadership as a “lead yard” to deliver a build-ready design and support production across the broader industrial base.</p>
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