Post-Cold War cuts left many navies short of smaller combatants, and those forces need rebuilding. Large ships remain necessary for magazine depth, sensors, and heavy weapons. The Jeune École provides the historical warning: opponents answered small attack craft with rapid-fire guns, including guns carried by smaller escorts of their own. A fleet that builds large ships can still add numerous small vessels around them. A small-ship-only force cannot produce the missing large-ship capabilities when they are needed, so balance matters more than choosing one size category.
Notable Point · 48:48-50:22
A balanced fleet rejects small-ship-only doctrine
Rebuilding small combatants after post-Cold War cuts is necessary, but the historical Jeune École warning is that small ships cannot substitute for every large-ship function.