Fewer hulls create a cycle of rising cost by making every remaining ship more valuable. Navies then ask each vessel to cover more missions and designers respond with additional systems, volume, and survivability. The resulting increase in cost reduces the number governments can afford, restarting the cycle at a smaller fleet size. Classification consequently says more about a ship's leading wartime specialization than its peacetime work, because frigates and destroyers alike must cruise and show presence.
Notable Point · 50:20-51:17
Fewer hulls create a capability-and-cost spiral
Shrinking fleets demand more missions from each hull, raising cost and size and making further fleet contraction more likely.