Foreign Perry variants reveal the design's longevity

The Perry was almost accidentally modular: power, weapons, command and accommodation occupied recognizable sections that could be considered separately in a redesign. That functional arrangement did not mean the original hull had generous growth space. Taiwan commissioned its eighth Cheng Kung-class ship in 2004, 27 years after the first Perry entered service. Spain's sixth Santa María-class ship followed in 1994, five years after the last US ship. Foreign service at the time of the broadcast therefore included newer derivatives as well as transferred US hulls. Aging ships still faced rising maintenance costs, obsolete electronics, scarce spares and possible re-engineering. A supporting role could keep these frigates useful without requiring them to remain at the technological edge.