The ironclad frigate opened a transition that eventually settled into the familiar battleship form represented by the Royal Sovereign era and refined through the dreadnought. The Second World War and the strategic shape of the Cold War then accelerated another change toward aircraft carriers and their escorts. Missile-armed escorts have remained a durable organizing form even as their weapons become faster and more capable. Lasers or railguns could produce a more fundamental break if their power and integration demands reshape the ship, while hypersonic missiles alone may be an improvement within the existing form.
Notable Point · 4:50-7:09
Stable warship forms from battleships to missile escorts
Royal Sovereign-type battleships, carrier-centered fleets, and missile escorts each became recognizable forms until deeper technological change disrupted them.