Building and refitting battleships need different infrastructure

How do the infrastructure requirements for building a battleship differ from those for refitting one?

New construction begins on a slipway and requires every system to be produced and assembled, while refits normally use a dry dock and vary greatly with the depth of work planned.

The answer separates two often-confused limits on naval capacity. A building slip supports construction from the keel upward, whereas a dry dock receives a floating ship and makes its underwater hull accessible. Refit demand therefore depends on scope, but it competes for a different mix of dock space, labor, and replacement machinery than a new battleship.