The counterfactual asks whether a modular frigate family would benefit from a second layer of containerized weapons. The joking name "Moflex" combines MEKO and StanFlex, both associated here with the 1980s enthusiasm for modularity. A buyer could select a hull and systems from a menu, then use interchangeable weapons to preserve options for later upgrades. That approach would reduce the research and development burden for navies buying an established design. The opening question is whether this much modularity would be useful in practice.
Notable Point · 0:00-6:44
MEKO plus StanFlex raises the problem of too much modularity
The Moflex counterfactual combines a configurable frigate family with interchangeable weapons, raising the question of how much adaptability a navy would actually use.