Editing Frigate (section)

====Littoral combat ship (LCS)====
[[File:Lockheed Martin LCS 17 (48301133431) (cropped).jpg|thumb|{{USS|Indianapolis|LCS-17|6}}, a {{sclass|Freedom|littoral combat ship}} of the United States Navy]]
Some new classes of ships similar to [[corvette]]s are optimized for high-speed deployment and combat with small craft rather than combat between equal opponents; an example is the U.S. [[littoral combat ship]] (LCS). As of 2015, all {{sclass|Oliver Hazard Perry|frigate|2}}s in the United States Navy have been decommissioned, and their role partially being assumed by the new LCS. While the LCS class ships are smaller than the frigate class they will replace, they offer a similar degree of weaponry while requiring less than half the crew complement and offering a top speed of over {{convert|40|kn}}. A major advantage for the LCS ships is that they are designed around specific mission modules allowing them to fulfill a variety of roles. The modular system also allows for most upgrades to be performed ashore and installed later into the ship, keeping the ships available for deployment for the maximum time.

The latest U.S. deactivation plans mean that this is the first time that the U.S. Navy has been without a frigate class of ships since 1943 (technically {{USS|Constitution}} is rated as a frigate and is still in commission, but does not count towards Navy force levels).<ref>{{cite web |last=Larter |first=David |date=2 July 2014 |title=Decommissioning plan pulls all frigates from fleet by end of FY '15 |url=http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20140702/NEWS04/307020082/Decommissioning-plan-pulls-all-frigates-from-fleet-by-end-FY-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703031337/http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20140702/NEWS04/307020082/Decommissioning-plan-pulls-all-frigates-from-fleet-by-end-FY-15 |archive-date=3 July 2014 |access-date=25 July 2015 |work=Militarytimes.com}}</ref> The remaining 20 LCSs to be acquired from 2019 and onwards that will be enhanced will be designated as frigates, and existing ships given modifications may also have their classification changed to ''FF'' as well.<ref>[http://news.usni.org/2015/01/15/sna-modified-littoral-combat-ship-class-changed-fast-frigate SNA: Modified Littoral Combat Ships to be Designated Frigates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806141654/https://news.usni.org/2015/01/15/sna-modified-littoral-combat-ship-class-changed-fast-frigate|date=6 August 2017}} – News.USNI.org, 15 January 2015</ref> However, the [[United States Navy]] selected a [[FREMM multipurpose frigate]] variant for a new {{sclass|Constellation|frigate|4}} of 20 frigates, to be built by Fincantieri beginning in 2024. <ref>{{Cite web|title=Fincantieri Wins $795M Contract for Navy Frigate Program|url=https://news.usni.org/2020/04/30/fincantieri-wins-795m-contract-for-navy-frigate-program|date=30 April 2020|website=USNI News|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020}}</ref>