They were fast, cheap and could take out very big ships with their 2 torpedos. Ok they could be sunk easily but so what – they cost a fraction of what one missile costs – so build a bunch and send em out, no? What am I missing?
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Range. They’re too small to have large fuel reserves, so they only work close to land or another large ship.
Also, navies aren’t the real problem these days, it’s much more about air power.
Lastly, most navies have lots of support ships that act as a screening force, they keep small ships away from the slow moving larger targets.
What you are missing is that radar is far better now (plus other sensors), big ships are faster, they have radar guided missiles, cannons and CWIS (and some have helicopters) that could take out a PT boat with ease.
So, just for example, a fleet of say, 50 modern equivalents to the original idea boat would not be able to defend the Crimea and Black Sea coastal area from encroachment by hostiles? Quick forays back and forth from hidden bays, get within torpedo range, zip back? Just as an example…
The boats themselves cost little, but the sailors on those boats are high value. Public opinion (at least in the west) would not allow troops to be sent on virtual suicide missions except in the most extreme circumstances.
PT boats really aren’t much good for a blue-water navy. They’re best when they can hide in islands and fjords. Torpedoes were generally replaced by anti-ship missiles, which have far greater range.
In the 1950s, the Soviets deveoped the *Komar*-class missile boats to take on the same role. Several others were developed: The German *Gepard*-class patrol boats, the US *Pegasus*-class hydrofoil, etc.
Countries with suitable coastlines and defense requirements still have “Fast Attack Craft”. Norway, Iran, North Korea.
Torpedoes for this purpose have been replaced my missiles because missiles are WAY, WAY better at letting a small boat endanger (or sink) a big ship. For starters missiles also have an advantage in that they can be used from much father away, making it less likely that boat they’re being launched from will be shot at in return.
Also, there isn’t a price advantage like you think. A smallish anti-ship missile (i.e. something similar to what the Ukrainians used recently to sink that Russian cruiser) is going to be roughly the same cost as a smaller modern torpedo. A bigger missile is going to be comparable to a bigger torpedo.
Basically the modern equivalent of a PT boat is something like the [Osa-Class Missile boat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osa-class_missile_boat).
The nearest equivalent, up to about 10 years ago, would probably be the Patrol Coastal class of ship. US Navy PC-1 was the first of that class, ending with PC-14, which had some stealth features. They were retired and given to the Coast Guard for a while, but I think mostly now they’re decommissioned.
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