Modern frigate and destroyer labels signal system priority

Small escort fleets make pure specialization difficult because each remaining ship must handle a wider range of threats. Wartime ASW escorts could give their anti-submarine armament much greater precedence. A modern ASW frigate still prioritizes rafted machinery, sonar, and the computing needed to filter acoustic data. It also needs a capable radar and missiles for outer air defence. A destroyer focused on air warfare is likely to carry a larger radar higher above the water, requiring a broader beam than an otherwise comparable ASW frigate. Air-warfare frigates show why the label alone cannot establish that distinction. The labels usually convey wartime priority, while the old image of the frigate as the cheaper escort persists.