The counterfactual response depends on facilities that are actually available. Italy and France already face tight capacity and budgets, while a Japanese B65 programme still depends on finding a yard the Navy will use. The comparison allows roughly three to four years to build shipyard infrastructure before the additional two or three years needed for a ship. In this interpretation, the Versailles restrictions weakened German maritime industry for decades. More money and better designs cannot instantly supply skilled workers or expand steel production. Running existing plants beyond their safe capacity risks damaging the facilities on which the building programme depends.
Notable Point · 1:17:50-1:20:28
Shipyard lead times limit a naval arms race
More ambitious naval orders need usable slips and steel capacity; building the infrastructure can take longer than building an individual ship.