The construction figures quoted are about 2,524,000 for Warspite in 1915 and 2,593,000 for Tiger in 1914. They illustrate how little separated the cost of these particular battleship and battlecruiser designs. An on-stream conversion puts Warspite at roughly 336 million in contemporary money, compared with a suggested 300-400 million marginal cost for another Type 45 destroyer after the initial six. The comparison depends on the conversion used and the stated follow-on construction estimate. The explanation stresses steel and machinery in the earlier ships, while modern electronics add expense and complexity.
Notable Point · 3:33:21-3:36:32
Warspite and Tiger: battleship and battlecruiser costs
The quoted construction figures for Warspite and Tiger are close, while an approximate inflation conversion places Warspite near the cost of a modern escort.