Crewed frigates could command uncrewed escort groups

Uncrewed craft can carry sensors and weapons, but command and presence still create jobs for people aboard ships. In the proposed force structure, crewed frigates and destroyers would coordinate groups of autonomous wingmen. Command spaces matter more to that role than the age of the underlying hull design. Diplomatic visits still involve meeting people, and attacks on uncrewed assets do not necessarily provoke the same response as attacks on crews; that comparison also distinguishes aircraft from vessels. Type 31's flexible internal space is suggested as an advantage for additional command facilities. The resulting formation would have groups within a larger task group, with autonomous craft supplying many of the extra hulls.