Defence cuts in a navy of sentient ships

Would defence cuts become harder if the navy consisted of sentient Kansen?

The panel's cynical answer is that governments would still cut the budget despite the ships' personhood.

The question starts from Kansen whose namesake ships fell victim to defence cuts. Reducing a fictional navy of sentient ships would involve decisions about persons as well as equipment. The panel's cynical prediction is that a defence ministry would still make cuts. Its joke about declaring an injury unrelated to service extends the comparison to military personnel.