Basic did not mean cheap or useless: the Perry class offered a sound hull, a functional weapons fit, and few unnecessary extras. Its consistently important capability was anti-submarine warfare, while the fleet accepted limits in other roles. Those limits were manageable because 51 ships supplied numbers for carrier-group screens, surface-action-group escorts, and convoy protection. A frigate could provide most of the required capability most of the time instead of trying to match a high-end combatant in every circumstance. That combination of specialization, availability, and acceptable performance is the benchmark used throughout the Constellation postmortem.
Notable Point · 3:22-5:37
Perry class as the basic frigate benchmark
The Oliver Hazard Perry class becomes the baseline for what a numerous, utilitarian US Navy frigate could be.