A Coast Guard cutter hull for the US Navy frigate

Does adopting a Coast Guard cutter hull weaken the US Navy's small-combatant force?

The panel says the final design is needed before judging the result, then examines price and capability comparisons with the Arleigh Burke class.

The panel withholds a final judgment until the cutter-derived frigate's design is known. It describes the Arleigh Burke class as the comparison point that complicates proposals for both smaller and larger surface combatants. In this account, a frigate near a Burke's price attracts demands for the destroyer's capabilities, while a larger ship must explain what its extra size provides. The cutter proposal is discussed as an attempt to establish a lower price and a narrower initial mission. Participants also suggest that an unsuccessful naval variant could have a Coast Guard use, and that later frigates could then be compared with that smaller vessel. These are proposed outcomes discussed before the final design is established.