Why Modern Naval Strategy ties battleships to an enemy battle fleet

Modern Naval Strategy argues that battleships are primarily needed to fight other battleships. If every battle fleet disappeared, superiority in other kinds of ship would determine command of the sea. The authors connect this argument to the difficulty of constructing capital ships quickly enough to surprise an opponent during a war. Smaller vessels create a different planning problem because they can be built more rapidly on smaller slips, with construction potentially disguised as merchant work. Navies therefore need to build their smaller forces in peacetime to meet wartime requirements.