The Londons were longer and narrower than earlier Counties, yet remained close enough to be treated as part of the same class family. Successive Arleigh Burke flights likewise retain one class identity through substantial development. Labels such as super-dreadnought changed as designs evolved, while the Hornet and Super Hornet provide a modern aircraft parallel. Class boundaries reflect institutional convention as well as a purely technical threshold.
Notable Point · 20:48-21:34
Why a changed design can remain part of the same class
The London subclass shows that naval class labels can absorb meaningful design evolution without requiring an entirely new name.