Dale showed why combat systems mattered as much as missiles

Dale's modernization makes a broader point about missile warfare: a missile is only as useful as the combat system that can detect, assign, launch, and guide it. A weapon that is individually superior may be less useful than a slightly less capable design if its ship can guide only one missile while the rival system manages many engagements. Fitting the Naval Tactical Data System increased the ship's flexibility by coordinating its weapons and sensor information more effectively. Dale's later selection as the operational platform for AN/SPS-49 two-dimensional air-search-radar trials also made the ship a test bed for fleet-wide improvement. Advertised missile range tells only part of the story because the complete combat system determines how many engagements a ship can manage.