I served on frigates and the primary mission of a frigate is ocean escort and ASW. I spent 4 years at sea on a frigate and spent maybe 4 days in a CVBG.
Destroyers and cruisers are CVBG escorts, not frigates.
The only reason our frigate was in a cvbg for a few days was that the there was some new requirement that all frigates had to have some time (familiarization) in cvbg in case of emergencies. If frigates are in a CVBG then something has gone very wrong. The frigate I was on took on fuel (unrep) from the CVN, yes they carry dfm. Lots of it.
The US Navy said those are the criteria, in addition to Aegis integration and VLS, for the new “Frigate”. Oh, and an existing platform design.
Which is bigger than any destroyer built before the 1970s.
I served on the Adams Class DDG for a WestPac and she was only 4,000 tones loaded.
But you’re right, the traditional role of a Frigate is Amphibious and Commercial escort along with ASW.
But you don’t need 48 VLS tubes for that. And the admirals like their VLS tubes. Hell, so do I.
If the Navy picks this one, it will be the best armed Frigate in history.
5in gun
48 vls
8 harpoon
8 mk46 torpedos
Phalanx AND RAM
AEGIS and AN/SPY-1
Yikes, it’s a baby Burke.