Why frigates and destroyers do not fully replace cruisers

The Royal Navy's modern destroyers and frigates do not reproduce an unashamedly large cruiser's presence. The Type 31 may inherit routine presence duties, yet its scale cannot create the same visual and political effect as Belfast. When Belfast was ordered, a Tribal-class destroyer displaced roughly one-sixth as much at full load, making the difference impossible to miss. HMS Bristol, the Type 82 destroyer, was Britain's last later attempt at a conspicuously large surface combatant that could perform this role. In this comparison, size provides diplomatic capacity and status as well as room for weapons.