All depends what they’re used for, many of the more capable corvettes are basically utilised in an OPV role for which they’re way, way too expensive, and despite an impressive looking weapons and sensor suite on paper they are not equivalent to a cut price frigate, often their true capabilities are nothing like the brochure claims due to problems with stability, accomodation and space, it’s quite normal with some of these vessels that they can carry a useful ASuW or ASW or AA weapons fit but not all together in spite of listing a most impressive aresnal on paper. The Israeli Sa’ar design is a good example, when new they were held up as a wonderful design carrying a equal punch to much bigger frigates and destroyers in other navies at a fraction of the cost and size, yet their stability is marginal and in service they’ve not managed to match any of the big claims made for the design when new. There is almost no growth potential, stability tends to be marginal and the costs really aren’t that much less than a larger more capable frigate if fully specced up given that a massive part of the costs of a warship are the command and control systems, sensor suite and weapons, fit equivalent radar, c&c and fighting capability to a corvette as a frigate and you’re getting a platform with a lot less growth potential, much less capability due to lower endurance and habitability and probably poorer rough weather operational capability. If the vessels are intended for inshore/near coastal work then it is probably better to buy a much smaller FAC type if intended to guard against enemy combatants, or a good OPV is intended for Coastguard style duties. If intended for deep sea ops then the disadvantages mean a frigate makes a lot more sense, even financially.

Agree. Good example of better balanced design is the Italian Minerva class corvette. It’s an ASW escort with Otomat SSMs and Aspide SAMs. Design variants included one which didn’t have the Aspide but a helicopter deck and hangar instead. NUMC is also a good example, if somewhat lightly armed.