The Cold War combined the danger of a shooting war with competition for influence short of combat. Destroyers had to be credible fighting ships while sustaining presence abroad. The description of that second task as 'waging peace' places a ship's perceived standing alongside its weapons. The argument for explaining sea power to successive governments is that weapons counts alone leave out this diplomatic role. Appearance and the perception of capability therefore form part of the assessment of what a destroyer contributes.
Notable Point · 58:42-1:00:33
Cold War destroyers had to wage the peace
Cold War naval presence linked destroyers' perceived standing and capability to their role in competition short of combat.