Why clear ownership matters in frigate requirements

Could an Independence-derived frigate have made the Constellation program more successful?

Possibly, but the deeper problem was a disconnect among Navy requirements, congressional expectations, and what builders believed they were supplying.

The central problem was broader than the choice of parent design. The Navy, Congress, and builders did not appear to share one settled understanding of the ship being requested and funded. Congress funds the program, so its expectations form part of the requirement. The project also needs an authority able to reject incompatible demands and preserve an agreed design. A proven in-service benchmark could make the replacement frigate easier to define.