Earlier expectations for the Constellation programme included reducing the destroyers assigned to individual carrier groups, freeing those destroyers for other duties. The later frigate proposal considered here is assessed more narrowly. Smaller escorts could restore some of the fleet mass lost as ships grew toward cruiser size, including antisubmarine capacity. In this assessment, the future frigates would not replace destroyers in their principal air-defence or surface-warfare roles. Their usefulness therefore depends on which duties they can assume, without implying that overall destroyer requirements disappear.
Notable Point · 1:18:23-1:19:37
What future US frigates could take off destroyers
The comparison distinguishes earlier Constellation expectations from the more limited air-defence and surface-warfare role foreseen for the later frigate proposal.