This is what the Navy is building the new Constellation class of frigates for. Currently the US has around 30 small combatant surface ships and the Russians 97.


US Navy needs more small warships to counter Russia, researchers say

As the U.S. pursues a maritime strategy that prioritizes a blue-water navy, Russia appears to be betting on smaller, missile-laden vessels to help it slowly gain territory and influence, according to military analysts.


Smaller Russian warships like corvettes and frigates aren’t built for fights with the U.S. Navy.


Instead, they provide coastal defense in the Black and Baltic seas, and allow Russia to harass cargo ships and credibly threaten its neighbors, said Bryan Clark, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology.



And while Ukraine has had success in crippling or sinking some of Russia’s vessels, the Kremlin’s strategy in coastal and regional waters presents difficulties in the long run for the U.S. mission to deter Russia from attacking American allies and partners.


Destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers allow the U.S. to project power. But the Navy lacks small and powerful ships that are cheap to operate and easy to keep deployed. Such ships are better at addressing day-to-day Russian aggressions, Clark and other analysts said.


“The problem is the big-war capabilities the U.S. Navy has are not really well-suited to compete in that way,” Clark said. “They kind of have to come in as large deployments of carrier strike groups that have to defend themselves, and that tends to be seen as provocative by countries in the region.”

****


The frigate USS Constellation is expected to begin construction this year and isn’t expected to be operational for at least a few more years. On Thursday, the Navy announced it agreed to procure the third frigate of the class.


The U.S. Navy is far ahead of Russia when it comes to large ships and capabilities. But it has 30 small surface combatant vessels, which include the littoral combat ships, according to a Congressional Research Service report in May.

Meanwhile, Russia has 86 corvettes and 11 frigates, though it’s unclear how many are in service, according to Globalfirepower.com, which tracks international military strength.