F3 speed and protection within the treaty limit

Nelson and Rodney combined heavy protection with nine sixteen-inch guns. The F3 alternative offered new fifteen-inch guns and at least 28 knots, with thinner armor than the Nelson design. Applying the same margin between designed and completed displacement gives an estimated standard displacement of about 34,000 tons for F3, compared with 33,500 for Nelson. That would leave roughly 1,000 tons within the treaty limit for additional protection. The suggested armor improvements remain design possibilities, but the higher speed would give Britain two more ships suited to fast operations.