Which twenty-first-century Australian ship class would suit the name HMAS Tattoo?
Short answerA Mogami-class frigate is the tentative choice, while earlier Australian destroyer names show that the navy has not followed a simple class-initial rule.
NotesA Mogami-class frigate is the tentative modern choice for the name HMAS Tattoo. The earlier Tattoo was an S-class destroyer despite its T-name, while Australia's Daring-class ships became Vampire, Vendetta, and Voyager. Waterhen was intended for a fourth Australian ship. British names considered during the programme included Dervish, Decoy, Delight, Desperate, Desire, Diana, and Demon. Specific changes discussed include Dragon becoming Decoy, Druid becoming Diana, and Disdain becoming Delight. Demon was cancelled. The changing names therefore preserve decisions about planned ships as well as the vessels completed. In the counterfactual where all sixteen British and four Australian ships entered service, the combined programme would have produced twenty ships instead of eleven.