The SteelNavy.Com Message Board: Re: Why USCGC Friedman was cancelled?

"Most of the world" does not require an Arleigh Burke destroyer. Yet, those are pretty much all we have. 4th fleet is using them to run down drug smugglers. To quote one of many articles out there on this whole subject:

“The Constellation class frigate was canceled because, candidly, it didn’t make sense anymore to build it,” Phelan also said. “It was 80 percent of the cost of a destroyer and 60 percent of the capability. You might as well build destroyers.”

Would you rather we run down drug smugglers with a ship with 60% of the capability of a Burke instead?

A patrol frigate fits the greater part of the world situation just fine. It provides affordable US Navy presence around the globe, and allows the "battle force" ships to go face the more serious threats. A reason I posted in another thread this image of our fleet:

https://laststandonzombieisland.com/2025/04/14/new-ships-of-the-navy-poster/rtx-navy-poster-2025/

Was to illustrate that our surface fleet is predominantly "nothing but Burkes." Which we are then using for everything because they are pretty much all we have. Not every situation requires us to respond with one. If we have affordable alternatives, the Burkes get sent to where they're needed.

You must also grasp the value of numbers. The individual frigate itself is "not impressive." But, if I have the numbers such that I can respond with "an armada" of them, reinforced with accompanying unmanned vessels, and they all have as many Mk 70s as they can carry, that is actually much more effective than showing up with a couple of "very impressive" Constellations or Burkes. To obtain numbers, the platforms must individually be cheap. To be cheap, they can not be "overdone." They must be capable of the minimum. Their combined numbers then produce the necessary force.

We need a patrol frigate of this sort even more today than we did 15 years ago.

Previous Message

Yes, but hat does not sound promising to get it right this time.

A shipyard and a design, which was cancelled because of delays - either the officially given reasons were different from the real ones or the decision to use that design to replace a delayed design are - difficult to understand.

There are also other obvious criticisms: the design appears to be very weakly armed, comparable to a Chinese Type 056 corvette which now serves with most of its armament removed by the Coast Guard. There is also a lack of sonar and proper anti-aircraft armament for self-defence, as well as a lack of space for future improvements. It is a patrol frigate which would have been suitable 15 years ago. Such a ship would have been understandable to design and order 15 years ago. But today?