Frigate procurement and the confidence behind deterrence

American frigate difficulties sit within a wider international debate about preparing for war or planning around routine peacetime work. Deterring war can resemble preparing to fight it. The argument favours capable, heavily armed ships on the grounds that deterrence costs less than war. In this interpretation, credible strength gives states confidence when handling disputes, while weakness and fear can encourage escalation. Self-defence training provides an analogy: a useful capability can build confidence even when it is rarely used. Practical skills offer another comparison, making problems easier to assess and handle. Applied to defence procurement, the recommendation is to acquire enough capability without treating more expenditure as automatically better.