 Austal has entered the FFG(X) competition for the US Navy's new class of 20 frigates, unveiling a larger more heavily armed design called the "Austal Frigate" in April 2017; and their Frigate design was selected as one of the five finalists.Based on the "Independence" LCS trimaran hull, it features a slightly shorter flight deck for an aft section that can hold eight anti-ship missiles, an addition to the eight missile launchers in the forward section for 16 total.The Austal Frigate design can also feature an optional 16-cell Mk 41 VLS.