BUY FRIGATES
Carlton Meyer
A couple of decades ago, the U.S. Navy began to build billion-dollar Aegis super-ships. The idea was sold that the sophisticated Aegis computerized radar would link all ships in a battle group to optimize firepower. Eventually, the Navy built enough Aegis ships for all its battle groups, but insisted that two Aegis ships were needed per battle group in case one ship broke down or suffered damage. Unfortunately, our Navy now buys nothing but expensive Aegis ships, while complaining to Congress that it needs to retain a fleet of at least 116 surface combatants.
As the Navy decommissions the last of its frigates (FFG-7s), only Aegis superships will remain to conduct basic naval missions like drug interdiction and blockades. Devoting large sophisticated ships with 322 crewmen for simple missions is a tremendous waste of resources. The obvious solution is to build some smaller, inexpensive ships like frigates. This has been advocated for many years by a former naval officer, Dr. James George, at the Center for Naval Analyses.
Our Navy could spend a decade "designing" a new frigate, and it would probably end up with a huge billion-dollar "frigate". A better option to begin immediate procurement of a modern ship already in service with the Israeli Navy, the Eilat Class (Sa�ar 5). www.naval-technology.com/projects/saar5/index.html. Although this 1227 ton, 260-foot ship is called a "corvette", its weaponry and 33 knot speed is more like a frigate. It has a stealthy design, sonar, torpedoes, missile launchers, a gun mount, and a helicopter hanger. The Navy could add the U.S. Army's new EFOG missile system to strike small craft and targets ashore.
The Sa�ar 5 only requires a crew of 71, costs far less to support and operate, and its smaller draft allows it to operate in shallow waters. An important factor is that they are built by Ingalls shipyard in Mississippi (!), the same location where the current Aegis destroyers are made. This is a politically neutral option since the same amount of money would go to the same location. Purchases of an economical high-tech frigate by the U.S. Navy will also open the door for foreign military sales.
The Navy�s current plan for building three Aegis ships per year will result in a surface combatant fleet of just 90 expensive destroyers by 2030. If three Sa�ar 5 frigates were added and one destroyer removed from each year's budget, our Navy could have 60 Aegis destroyers and 90 frigates instead. This fleet of 150 surface ships would provide far more flexibility and keep op-tempo at reasonable levels. Buying proven Sa'ar 5 frigates is the simple solution to our Navy's optempo and manning problems.
21st Century Weapons
e-mail May 1998