A modern ship of 15,000 tons may be called a destroyer while occupying the size range of older cruisers. Political and institutional preferences can carry a smaller type's name upwards as ships grow. Armoured personnel carriers developing towards tank capabilities provide a land-warfare parallel, while the Merkava can itself carry troops. Comparisons across eras therefore need to consider displacement, numbers and proportions of the force. Matching names alone can conceal major differences.
Notable Point · 2:49:33-2:51:09
Why names mislead when comparing fleet size
Ship names change meaning as vessels grow, making displacement and force proportions more useful for comparisons across eras.