Autoloaders would distort the next treaty negotiation

How would mature British autoloaders affect F3 and later naval treaties?

They could shape F3's armament and give Britain a generation of technical experience that rivals would struggle to regulate away.

The exact F3 armament would still depend on the weight and volume of a workable autoloader. More important, a fleet already operating rapid-firing 16-inch guns would reveal a major technological lead. The United States and Japan could restrict new construction only by accepting that disadvantage, or reopen building and begin with less mature machinery. Treaty talks would therefore have to regulate capability and learning curves, not merely calibre and tonnage.