A proposed armament for a new frigate

What is the minimum sensible armament for a new frigate class?

The proposal favours Sea Sparrow, a 76 mm gun, additional 57 mm or close-in mounts, and overlapping defensive arcs. Lasers would supplement the guns as their performance matures.

The suggested baseline includes Sea Sparrow missiles and a 76 mm gun, with additional 57 mm and close-in mounts considered in several possible combinations. Guns provide an available defence against small craft and drones while laser performance is still being tested across weather and operating conditions. Mount placement matters as much as the nominal total: taking one of two close-in systems down for maintenance can leave an uncovered arc. More overlapping mounts would reduce that vulnerability, depending on the ship's layout. The 76 mm gun is also favoured for the room its shell offers for specialised ammunition, including fragmenting anti-swarm rounds. A depth-charge-like shell for underwater drones is discussed as a development possibility, with no claim that the proposed 76 mm version is already operational.