A carrier has much greater striking power than a destroyer, so a modern fleet already accepts several capability tiers. The age-of-sail analogy places the carrier in the first-rate position and the numerous Burke destroyers in the third-rate workhorse role. A frigate then resembles a fifth rate, carrying out escort, outer-screen, and communication tasks. Those comparisons describe how ships contribute to a formation, rather than literal modern ratings. Alex Clarke's objection to comparing isolated ship statistics is that the task group depends on how different capabilities support one another.
Chapter · 2:02:40-2:05:28
Different warship roles combine within a fleet
Age-of-sail ratings become a model for modern carrier, destroyer, and frigate tiers whose different strengths combine in a task group.