Should the United States build modern corvettes to increase ship numbers?
Short answerNo; their range would demand extensive forward basing, while the greater need is a sustainable frigate and destroyer replacement path.
NotesThe answer asks what mission a Russian-style corvette would perform for an oceanic U.S. Navy. Its limited endurance would require forward basing, creating a large network of local support while leaving each ship difficult to shift between theatres. The American shortfall is framed instead as a failed frigate transition and the decision to stop Zumwalt construction at three ships before a Burke successor was ready. Continuing a less ambitious destroyer programme could have preserved production and bought time without building a geographically constrained corvette fleet.