Why Britain and France count as medium global navies

Could most European navies now be described as small?

Britain and France fit a medium category with global reach; being smaller than the largest fleets does not make them small navies.

Smaller fleets can still have substantial capabilities, so the comparison needs a medium category. Britain and France are classified here as medium navies with global reach because they can project force worldwide. A medium navy with more ships can remain a regional power if it cannot sustain global operations. The distinction also depends on repeatability: an occasional distant deployment does not make a local or regional fleet a global navy.