Q&A · 1:06:14-1:07:11

Without Washington, Britain keeps ordering capital ships

A procurement answer contrasts Britain's rolling annual orders with more explicit American and Japanese capital-ship programs.

Question

Would Britain have continued building beyond its existing designs without the Washington Naval Treaty?

Short answer

Yes; rather than follow a single long program, British governments would keep ordering annual batches while rival American and Japanese construction remained active.

Notes

The Royal Navy would likely continue ordering roughly four ships a year as long as the international race required them. The approach also preserves shipbuilding employment, so construction would taper only after rival programs ceased rather than at a predetermined endpoint.