What the U.S. Navy needs are frigates (sorry Mr. Work)

Last week a British destroyer (more frigate than destroyer) had to use its main gun in a fight. The weapon is similar to the kind of gun on other frigates and not just destroyers.

The RN engaged low tech targets using a low cost and effective weapon; a weapon size that the dysfunctional Littoral Combat Ship (the great hope of the Navy) will never see. The Littoral Combat Ship has a small pea-shooter and if the mission packages arrive someday, maybe some overly expensive missiles that won’t bring value to taking out pirates and third-rate threats.

China has claimed they are not out to trump the U.S. Navy. Depending on if you believe that or not, certainly the Littoral Combat Ship is not the answer for that threat either.

Frigates (the kind that don’t pretend to be destroyers) are cost-effective and can carry a helicopter and are generally useful for a variety of work the U.S. Navy will face.

Hunting pirates with aircraft carriers, cruisers and even destroyers is money we can ill afford to spend. The U.S. Navy budget needs a serious realignment. One that is more practical to our real needs. When looking at the kind of work the U.S. Navy is likely to do, there just is no use for the gold-plated and faulty Littoral Combat Ship.