Is shifting resources toward submarines sensible if frigates no longer seem to serve a purpose?
Short answerMercogliano rejects that premise: surface ASW and escort work still has a role, exemplified by the Knox and Perry classes.
NotesJamie Seidel questions whether a shift toward submarines follows from frigates losing their usefulness. Sal Mercogliano answers that anti-submarine escort remains a mission, even if the US Navy has been reluctant to give it a dedicated surface platform. The Knox and Oliver Hazard Perry classes provide the earlier examples. He connects the mission's reduced priority to the end of the Cold War. Alex Clarke adds Coast Guard interdiction of narco-submersibles as an argument for considering the National Security Cutter, an analogy to practical detection work rather than proof of a complete naval ASW fit.