Judge frigates by the missions they must perform

A warship's value depends on the job its navy expects it to do. River-class offshore patrol vessels illustrate the point: they suit presence, diplomacy, and maritime security, while a high-threat battle would demand a different ship. A modern frigate can support a screen and perform picket duties, although a destroyer is more likely to be built as the task group's principal screening asset. Missile-cell counts alone do not settle that classification: a ship can be built to destroyer standards and receive only a minimal VLS fit. Light frigates occupy another tier because their cost, weapons, and wartime assumptions differ from those of larger frigates. The comparison follows the requirements that produced each class instead of trying to name one universal winner.