Construction began in August on the first of the US Navy's Constellation-class frigates. It's the first new frigate since the last Oliver Hazard Perry-class ship was built in the late '80s.

(Cmdr. Nate Christensen/US Navy) ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s first Constellation-class guided-missile frigate will arrive late amid workforce shortages, a program official said Thursday.

The Navy has awarded a $537 million contract option to shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine for the third Constellation-class frigate, according to a Thursday Pentagon announcement.

Construction on the Navy’s first frigate in more than three decades started this week, setting in motion a plan to provide the Navy with a class of versatile ships that pack a heavy punch.