The discussion distinguishes technical development from operational experience. Submarine technology may exist on paper, yet a 15- or 20-year break in using it would erode doctrine and practical skills. The same point is applied to the US Marine Corps giving up tanks: the US Army has many tanks and might lend some, but that does not preserve the Marines' own experience of operating them. Rebuilding a discarded capability requires people and practice as well as equipment.
Notable Point · 24:20-25:53
Why abandoned military capabilities are hard to restore
A comparison between submarine development and US Marine Corps tanks shows how a service loses doctrine and practical skill when it stops exercising a capability.