Australian Perry upgrades and American fleet reductions

How did the Australian OHP frigates differ from the American ships?

The Australian ships are described as improved and intended to remain useful longer. The United States could have pursued similar upgrades but placed less value on retaining the type.

The Australian frigates are characterised as improved ships intended for a longer useful life. Australia could afford the investment, while the United States had the option of similar upgrades but placed less value on retaining the type. A related criticism is that American encouragement of allied fleet reductions in the 1990s increased US influence while leaving expectations for allied patrol and presence missions unchanged. Fewer allied ships meant less capacity to cover those tasks without American help. The later thousand-ship navy aspiration exposed the difficulty of combining fleets that had been reduced. A recalled estimate puts the allied contribution below 300 ships and the American fleet below 400. Those figures illustrate the claimed shortfall without providing a dated fleet inventory.