The limits of technological shortcuts in naval planning

Limited naval funding encouraged the search for a new weapon that could offset an opponent's greater resources. Consistent investment in a flexible core force was an alternative, but it required sustained leadership and stable goals. Soviet planners repeatedly pursued new missiles or bombers while opposing carriers, air groups, and escorts adapted their defences. Hypersonic weapons face a trade-off in this critique: manoeuvres at very high speed cover large distances, while straight approaches resemble ballistic threats already anticipated in Cold War planning. The Royal Navy's missile-heavy Type 22 provides a separate example of enthusiasm for new weapons overlooking the flexibility of a general-purpose gun. Carriers were also politically awkward for the Soviets because they symbolised rival powers. Claims that missiles had made them obsolete could therefore serve national identity as well as force planning.