Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:46:42-3:48:55

Could Type 26 have worked as a US frigate?

Type 26 was excluded because it was not yet mature, and heavy adaptation to US standards could have repeated Constellation's loss of parent-design value.

Damage ControlNaval ProcurementNavseaRoyal NavyType 26 FrigateUS Navy
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Question

Could the Type 26 have succeeded as the US Navy's new frigate?

Short answer

Potentially, but it was ineligible under the maturity rule and would cease to be Type 26 if the Navy insisted on redesigning it extensively around US assumptions.

Notes

Type 26 is considered a possible frigate in the hypothetical, but its design had not reached the maturity required for the original competition. The requirement was for an operating parent design in 2017. Even without that obstacle, success would have depended on accepting enough of the original design to retain its value. Extensive alteration to US requirements would create a substantially different ship. The criticism of NAVSEA concerns an apparent assumption that other navies take damage control less seriously. Studying foreign practice is proposed as a way to judge which features to adopt, modify, or reject.