A reconfigurable warship makes it harder for an opponent to know exactly what weapons it carries. The illustrated arrangement has two 76 mm guns and two Harpoon modules, with the two other modules tentatively identified as Sea Sparrow. An alternative could carry four Sea Sparrow modules, move a Harpoon module forward, and retain one forward gun. The navy could therefore alter the balance between anti-ship missiles, air defence, and guns without choosing a different hull. The preferred arrangement would follow combat requirements even if removing a gun made the ship look less imposing.
Notable Point · 14:15-15:11
Changing a frigate's missile balance obscures its exact fit
StanFlex lets a navy trade guns and anti-ship missiles for more air defence, leaving an observer less certain of a familiar hull's capabilities.