The Constellation competition required a design already in service, which excluded Type 26 at the time of selection. Drachinifel considers Type 26's displacement, payload, and other characteristics close to what the US program eventually demanded. He notes the irony that delays might allow the first Type 26 to enter service before Constellation. Alex Clarke identifies Canada's River-class version as an especially close match to the enlarged requirement. The comparison concerns how the requirement evolved after selection, rather than proof that a different choice would have met the original timetable.
Notable Point · 1:39:04-1:40:00
Type 26 and River illustrate the cost of an early eligibility rule
The requirement for a design already in service excluded Type 26, even though the later Canadian variant resembled the expanded American specification.