Fleet building takes longer than a signal

Exercises and mobilization can send a near-term signal. Building a larger fleet could take around twenty years, so acquiring ships addresses a longer-term need. A larger Royal Navy and a possible future Russian challenge in the North Atlantic illustrate that delay. Planning against present Russian weakness alone would miss the strength Britain might need when its new ships enter service. The future threat is a hypothetical planning example. States are compared to competing corporations seeking an advantage because they connect their security with their ability to survive.