No navy can cheaply maximize fleet size and the power of every ship. Britain emphasized total fleet volume, while Spain and, to a lesser extent, France had stronger incentives to concentrate resources in unusually powerful units. Constraints included infrastructure, sustainment, personnel demands from the army, material supplies, and the bureaucracy needed to support a fleet. An exceptionally powerful ship could deter an opponent by forcing it to bring two or three vessels against one. A fleet composed entirely of top-rate ships would still lack the numbers needed everywhere, so force structure remained a balance.
Notable Point · 45:05-47:33
Fleet numbers versus individual ship strength
The Spanish and French cases explain why limits in infrastructure, personnel, materials, or sustainment could push a navy toward fewer ships with greater individual power.