The proposed extra ships would have produced more coherent divisions and a larger early lead over Germany while Britain was already paying for design work and industrial capacity. Another Bellerophon is estimated at roughly £1.7 million, and crew costs might have been offset by retiring older battleships sooner. A state seeking the diplomatic and economic benefits of primacy had to fund the force behind that status or accept a reduced role. Because the design and yard system already existed, the marginal ships bought more strategic effect than their cost alone suggests.
Notable Point · 1:10:30-1:14:12
Britain could not preserve naval primacy on the cheap
A handful of additional dreadnoughts would have made Germany's buildup look less threatening at a manageable marginal cost to Britain.