Thought you might like to see this.
As you probably know, I believe the Coast Guard should build a more war-like cutter that could be built jointly with the Navy to fill a destroyer escort like role.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog
Thought you might like to see this.
As you probably know, I believe the Coast Guard should build a more war-like cutter that could be built jointly with the Navy to fill a destroyer escort like role.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
There is nothing I would rather see than a new USN Destroyer Escort. Having said that it must be more powerful, steam further, be multi-mission capable, and be able to Escort things across the Pacific. The FRC cannot do that without a Mother Ship providing constant refueling, and there is no space and weight for multi-mission systems. Even if we make the new Next Gen Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI) primary AAW, the Mk38 Mod IV 50mm gun the primary deck gun, and ASW is a datalink and depth charges and K-guns . . . they still would not have enough displacement to handle everything. Minimum multi-warfare capabilities for a new DE must be much more significant than that with multi-engagement capability in every warfare area in depth.
The FRC is a much improved MTB that is much more effective, can be built in numbers quickly at significant cost savings. Guided rockets and perhaps Naval Hellfire onboard along with SPIKE NLOS and NGSRI would be the loadout. The VLWT is also capable enough to be included. If a powered (rocket booster) HAAWK version becomes reality the FRC could be a weapons provider in a network environment with queuing coming over the net.
Everyone will be upgrading their capability with unmanned too. Weapons and sensor platforms are all possible on every vessel.
Seems every class of ship, Navy or Merchant, is now huge compared to its WWII counterpart. Growing only 200% would be modest. The Constellation class, nominally a DE (frigate) replacement, are about 7300 tons.
The DE has probably got to be at least 4,000 tons. The NSC might be a workable start but I don’t know why #11 was cancelled and what other problems we seem to have encountered. I like the fact it can apparently host two ASW helicopters. It has good cruise speed on diesels, something not true of the FREMM.
The OPC just seems too slow. It would probably need a second pair of diesels to make adequate speed, though I do think the ones we do build would be worth modifying for war time roles as would the NSC.
Any DE would need at least one ASW helicopter and a towed array plus the things needed on a cutter.
I would rather see an upgunned NSC as a destroyer escort or ARG escort. At the Same time, the US Navy buying into the FRC
As of 2019, the U.S. Navy did consider getting the Sentinel-class FRC (more specifically the same version sold to Bahrain Navy), but since 2021 that acquisition seems to have waned somewhat in favor of an autonomous patrol boat…
Don’t think any FRCs have been sold to Bahrain. The PATFORSWA FRCs are still Coast Guard.