The high-medium-low mix and the Krivak gap

A high-medium-low model explains why the same ship can occupy different positions in different deployments. An interwar sloop or a modern patrol vessel can cover routine work in a low-threat area, while a cruiser provides much greater local power. A Town-class cruiser with twelve 6-inch guns looks formidable beside a sloop, yet HMS Warspite's eight 15-inch guns place the battleship above it. HMS Glasgow beside the sloop HMS Folkestone makes the opposite comparison: the cruiser is the stronger local ship. The Soviet Navy struggled to find a medium combatant that could cover both kinds of deployment at an acceptable cost. Krivak-class frigates became ubiquitous workhorses, but their limited diplomatic status kept them from being convincing high-end visitors in quiet regions. Larger Soviet ships could make that impression, at a higher cost for routine presence.