>>63952214
There wasn't when they were designed...yet now there is. The US does have an opponent with an actual surface fleet that will need countering. And large ships, that can hide from radar, and (soon to be) capable of launching hypersonics, ends up being a pretty good ability. They're not replacing the Ticos but they do pack a punch even if there's only a few.
Japan realizes this too, which is why they're also planning a duo of large ships with a lot of VLS for air defense and even some anti-shipping.