The Cormorant began as the WFR-80, Western Frigate Replacement for the 1980s, a joint program between Osea, the FCU, Emmeria, and Aurelia. Initial entries into the program were developments of the Osean Apitoclass frigate and the Aurelian Gerfaut class frigate. While the Apito class more closely met the program's requirements in its initial state, the loss of a vessel to Scofieldian anti-ship missiles in the Wesson Incident made partner nations hesitant to acquire them, and the Osean public demanded more competent naval acquisitions despite naval brass regarding the sinking as a fluke resulting from poor peacetime readiness.
The Gerfaut variant was marketed with Exocet missiles - sparsely used outside of Aurelia - and no CIWS, but its surface-to-air radar and integration with the Standard Missile system were seen as positive attributes. Osea and the FCU ordered vessels lacking ship-to-ship missiles and indigenously installed Phalanx CIWS and RGM-84 Harpoon launchers while the Royal Navy fitted their ships with Goalkeeper CIWS. Osea was the most prolific buyer, ordering 36 ships, followed by Erusea, which ordered 20 vessels as Aurelia was one of the few Western nations willing to violate Osean sanctions against Bruun's regime in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Aurelia attempted to follow up on its success with the Hydre class stealth frigate, but the ship was regarded as less versatile and particularly incompetent at air defense compared with its predecessor, and only a few vessels ordered for testing are operated by the world's navies. The last vessels delivered were eight ships sent to Diego Navarro's faction during the Leasathian Civil War along with twelve Gerfauts.
Most operators followed the ships' Aurelian naming scheme and named their vessels after birds. This included the OMDF, despite it conflicting with existing naming conventions calling for carriers and other large capital ships to be named for birds and frigates to be named for cities.
Ships
Aurelian Navy AS Canard (F24) - AS Cormoran (F25) - AS Cygne (F26) - AS Pélican (F27) - AS Colibri (F28) - AS Moineau (F29)
Royal Navy HMS Firebrand (F18) - HMS Furious (F19) - HMS Foxhound (F20) - HMS Fortunate (F21) - HMS Fearless (F22) - HMS Foresight (F23) HMS Fervent (F24) - HMS Falcon (F25) - HMS Faithful (F26) - HMS Fury (F27)