If the US Navy built 108 Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, comprising eight short-hull and 100 long-hull ships, how much longer would the class remain in service?
Short answerThe estimate extends construction to at least 2003, leaving the youngest ships with perhaps another decade of service at the time of the discussion; production might also continue.
NotesThe calculation assumes that producing roughly another fifty frigates takes about as long as the original American construction run, extending production to at least 2003. Ships completed then would be about 23 years old at the time of the discussion, with perhaps another decade of service if they reached thirty years or more. Continued demand might also keep Perry construction running beyond 2003 alongside the Burke line. Later Perry variants are imagined with vertical-launch systems, giving this alternative fleet an ongoing light-combatant programme and reducing the reason to develop the Littoral Combat Ship.