The initial concept called for seventeen Kent-class ships, with the Royal Navy retaining the largest share and four pairs going to the Dominions. Australia, South Africa, Canada, and New Zealand would each have received County-class capability instead of relying solely on smaller local forces. This distribution matched the class’s intended role as a powerful station presence and made imperial naval planning more integrated. The Washington Treaty was less prescriptive than the 1930 London Treaty, leaving more room for such plans before later limits tightened. The County programme was conceived as a network of naval power distributed across the empire.
Notable Point · 43:06-45:48
A Kent-class network for the Dominions
An early concept distributed pairs of Kent-class cruisers across Australia, South Africa, Canada, and New Zealand as part of an imperial naval system.