Annapolis can be considered a prototype ship or even an experiment for future naval communications, and proving her capability during the Vietnam War. Although Annapolis was not the first ship to have an antenna array on the flight deck, with that distinction going to , it does have the distinction for having the first satellite communications afloat capability, a very large communications center to support global communications, and the ability to stay on station for long periods. As such, it can be assumed that the lessons learned from Annapolis and her sister ship set the stage for the US Navy's new generation of command ships, the and . When those two ships were commissioned, much of the same technologies that Annapolis carried were installed, which is a tribute to the Navy planners and engineers of Annapolis.
