How would the Constellation program have developed if it were replacing a continuously modernized Perry class?
Short answerIt would likely have been a domestic design built from the modernized Perry benchmark, with requirements focused on specific improvements rather than redefining the frigate from scratch.
NotesA continuing Perry line would give replacement planners a current domestic benchmark. They could compare a proposed sonar with the equipment already in service and decide whether additional missile capacity was needed. In this scenario, a Constellation-like successor would probably be a domestic design developed from the modernized Perry baseline. An operational predecessor would make the replacement's requirements easier to define.