Mission Critical: What the Frigate? Why the U.S. Navy Needs a New Boat
Published March 4, 2026
Why does the U.S. Navy need a new frigate? Find out in Episode 3 of Mission Critical!
Host Ryan Robertson talks with several maritime experts about the new class of frigate the U.S. Navy wants, which is based on the HII-built Legend-class national security cutter the U.S. Coast Guard uses. Steven Wills from the Navy League’s Center for Maritime Strategy and Bryan Clark from the Hudson Institute both explain why the new frigate won’t need to be armed to the teeth to be in the water in 2028.
This episode also covers the U.S. Navy’s future network of underwater sensors known as NEREUS, Admiral Darryl Caudle’s new Fighting Instructions, and explores the early history of submarine-launched missiles.