[FastCoyote]

My guess is those littoral trimarans would be pretty survivable platforms. I wonder how they compare?

[naturalman1975]

The idea is to trade speed for anything else. Armor is really only of much use against relatively small calibre weapons, and if you can be fast enough you don't have to worry too much about those. But it also relies on being able to be mobile. That's HMAS Jervis Bay. She did an excellent job for the Royal Australian Navy in East Timor, basically moving troops and material over a secure sea lane very effectively. In that role, she was nearly perfect - and it's a useful role. But you have to think about what else you need to do.