The US Navy has set the unit cost target for the planned 355 frigate fleet as $800 million. The upper limit for the frigates set by the US Navy, which focused on developing cost-effective and fast solutions within the framework of the frigate program that started with the Request for Information released last summer, is $950 million. James Guerts, Assistant Undersecretary of the US Navy responsible for research, development and acquisition, told reporters at a conference held on January 11th that the most important element in the frigate program is the affordability, adding that conceptual design contracts are expected to be signed by March this year at the latest.