A flak OPV could escort shipping through restricted waters

Is there a place for a modern small flak ship to escort shipping through restricted contested waters?

Potentially; a flak OPV could provide cheaper gun-based drone defence in a narrow mission such as Hormuz escort.

An OPV built around dense gun-based air defence could fill a narrow escort role. A ship of this kind might accompany merchant traffic in restricted waters such as the Strait of Hormuz. Its purpose would be to fire cheaper shells at incoming drones rather than answer every threat with an expensive missile. The concept is deliberately local and mission-specific, not a substitute for a general-purpose frigate.