Multiple 18-inch British ships rewrite the treaty ceiling

How would an 18-inch British fast-battleship class affect the Washington Naval Treaty?

Unlike one-off Hood, four 18-inch fast battleships would force American and Japanese equivalents and could push the treaty limit toward 18-inch guns and about 45,000 tons.

A battleship-protected design would be validated rather than delayed by Jutland, allowing several ships to complete by 1918-1919 and a successor class to begin. With multiple examples in service, negotiators could not dismiss the design as a unique exception and would have to recognize a higher international standard.