What the Perry retirement left Arleigh Burke destroyers to cover

The U.S. Navy shows how a class's value depends on the division of labour assumed when it was designed. Arleigh Burke destroyers were air-warfare and general-purpose ships whose helicopter suites operated alongside Oliver Hazard Perry frigates that could lead much of the anti-submarine work. Retiring the Perrys without a direct replacement forced the Burkes to absorb a mission that was never central to their acoustic and hull design. The example clarifies why Type 26's built-in quieting remains important even when another ship carries capable helicopters and sonar.