Crew size follows systems, not hull size

How much larger would the crews of bigger Type 45 or Type 83-style ships need to be?

Probably not dramatically larger: crew totals depend chiefly on system design and staffing rules rather than hull size.

Boat handling illustrates how automated equipment can still demand dedicated personnel under a navy's procedures. US practice can assign a standing team where another NATO navy would form an ad hoc damage-control party only if the machinery failed. Administrative writers are then presented as operational force multipliers: they process parts, inventories, training records, and career paperwork so officers can command, train, and keep watch. Loading that administration onto watch officers divides attention at the point it should remain on the ship. Because writers can also be redirected to emergency tasks when needed, removing them does not simply trim non-combat manpower. Crew size therefore follows doctrine, paperwork, watchkeeping choices, and support organisation as much as hull dimensions or automation.