Royal Navy pre-eminence supported British national and imperial security as well as institutional pride. Its status is comparable to that of the modern US Navy, whose aircraft carriers enter almost any discussion of naval power. Britain had occupied a similar position since 1805 and could not let Dante Alighieri replace its ships as the standard for the new battleship type. HMS Warrior's rapid answer to the French Gloire provides the model, although Dante Alighieri would be a much stronger rival. The British response therefore had to be visibly and decisively superior, even if that demanded expensive or immature technology.
Notable Point · 13:00-16:29
Why Britain had to remain the benchmark navy
British security and imperial influence depend on the Royal Navy remaining the standard against which every other navy is measured.