Foreign orders as test beds for British warship technology

Did the Royal Navy use ships built for foreign navies as test beds for unusual ideas?

Yes; British yards tried technologies on foreign orders throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and some systems later associated with HMS Warrior were first explored outside Royal Navy ships.

The many ships British yards built for overseas customers offered opportunities to test machinery, armor, and layouts beyond the Royal Navy's own programs. Some technological precursors to HMS Warrior appeared first outside British service, making foreign orders part of the wider innovation system.