Specialist versus general-purpose frigates

When building a modern frigate, is a specialist or general-purpose design preferable?

The answer depends on fleet context: a navy with carriers and a larger escort force can benefit from specialists, while a smaller or surface-action-centered navy needs general-purpose flexibility.

Frigate specialization depends on the force that must employ the ship. A navy with carriers, outer-area air defence, and a large escort pool can assign focused roles and gain more from specialist ships. A smaller navy, or one built around surface action groups, needs each hull to cover more missions. Space and weight devoted to one specialist capability have to be justified by the rest of the fleet. General-purpose flexibility therefore becomes part of force structure rather than a design virtue in isolation.