The following is the April 18, 2017 Government Accountability Office report, Delaying Planned Frigate Acquisition Would Enable Better-Informed Decisions.
From the report:
The Navy is moving away from its troubled Littoral Combat Ship program to a new ship—called the frigate—which is based on an LCS design with minor modifications.
The Navy’s current approach requires that Congress make a significant commitment in 2017 to purchase 12 of these ships. However, we found that key frigate cost and design details will not be available to support Congress’s decision.
We suggested that Congress delay this decision (worth about $9 billion) until more information is known about the frigate’s cost, design, and capabilities. Doing so would result in a delay to the Navy’s frigate award until at least fiscal year 2019.
