What is the smallest reasonable convoy escort with a towed array, minimal self-defense, and missiles?
Short answerAbout 2,000 tons for a crewed ship, comparable in size to a River-class OPV, because a useful towed array and missiles need more space than a Flower-sized hull offers.
NotesThe estimate is about 2,000 tons for a crewed vessel, using a River-class offshore patrol vessel as a size comparison. A useful towed array requires sufficient ship size to tow and accommodate it. Missiles and their associated space needs further limit how small the escort can be. Those requirements rule out simply returning to Flower-class dimensions in this assessment.