Scope Creep Sinks Frigate Programs

When a service repeatedly expands or changes requirements mid‑development—adding size, new subsystems, and software rewrites to a baseline foreign design—costs and delays compound until the original production plan collapses. The Constellation case shows how converting a largely off‑the‑shelf FREMM design into a U.S.‑specific frigate grew displacement, forced nearly complete software rewrites, and produced multi‑year slips that ended in cancellation. — This highlights a structural procurement risk with direct consequences for naval readiness, shipyard employment, federal budgets, and the credibility of military modernization programs.