PORTLAND – A shipbuilding coalition that includes Bath Iron Works announced plans Wednesday to build a new class of corvette-size warships for international navies.

The Advanced Frigate Consortium is touting the 2,600-ton ships as a smaller, more affordable alternative to existing destroyers.

The new ships will be built jointly by Bath Iron Works, Lockheed Martin and Izar, a Spanish shipbuilder, which comprise the consortium formed in 1999.