Toward a Hi-Lo Navy

This is something I suggested almost 2 years ago, from Gov Exec:

The sharp contrast between the kinds of warships needed for the Navy's likely missions is a major problem for Mullen's strategists. Wayne P. Hughes, a retired Navy captain now at the Naval Postgraduate School, has suggested building a "bi-modal" force with "high-end" ships that could meet any Chinese challenge and "low-end" vessels for near-shore operations. But it's not clear whether that approach would do the job.

During the 70's and 80's, the Navy bought 29 large Spruance class destroyers as a high-end ship, with over 50 smaller and cheaper Perry class frigates as the low-end. In the 1990's it was all high-end Burke destroyers, with 60 built and counting. This is something that should be reconsidered for the future fleet.