Will frigates grow past today's destroyers?

Will naval labels change as frigates and destroyers grow, or could a 25,000-ton ship still be called a frigate?

Names will continue to shift with national practice; size alone does not produce a universal classification, as Canada's destroyer label for its Type 26 derivative shows.

Ship sizes will continue to change while familiar labels remain politically and institutionally flexible. Canada calls its Type 26-derived surface combatant a destroyer, while other navies call related designs frigates. The difference reflects national practice rather than a universal displacement boundary. A ship's name can therefore remain stable even as its size and mission move into territory once associated with another class.