Q&A ยท 1:34:52-1:36:43

Doctrine change and carrier-era speed

A doctrine answer explains why ships can outlive the assumptions behind them as carrier aviation accelerates the pace and reach of naval war.

Question

Did navies build ships that did not fit their doctrines?

Short answer

Usually ships fit the doctrine of their time, but doctrine changed quickly in the carrier era, so older designs could stop matching the way naval war was being fought.

Notes

Navies usually built ships to fit current doctrine, but doctrine could change faster than a vessel's service life. During the 1920s and 1930s, carrier aviation expanded the reach and pace of naval combat. Battleships retained formidable ship-killing power, while aircraft could carry bombs far beyond gun range. Older designs could therefore outlive the assumptions that had shaped them.