Combat consumption defeats ammunition forecasts

Food and ammunition still define the useful endurance of a nuclear warship. Actual wars repeatedly consume munitions faster than planners expect, across navies rather than in one isolated national failure. Forecasts tend to assume greater accuracy and lethality than combat conditions deliver. More rounds are then needed to achieve the intended effect, accelerating the demand for replenishment. Magazines and supply chains therefore need to account for wartime uncertainty rather than the best-case performance of individual weapons.