Why new dry docks are politically difficult

How likely is the West to build new dry docks and shipyards?

Major investment is unlikely until a visible threat overcomes elected governments' reluctance to fund infrastructure whose payoff lies beyond one election cycle.

Docks and yards require large early spending but may not deliver ships or public benefits for years. Strategic pressure is therefore more likely than routine politics to unlock the necessary investment. Their useful lives extend far beyond one election, while their initial cost is immediately visible to voters and finance ministries. The result is a tendency to wait for danger before rebuilding the infrastructure needed to answer it.