The Kidd order is compared with the way Imperial Japan once bought premium warships from experienced foreign builders. A navy ordering only four ships may rationally specify the most capable version it can afford because every hull must count. A much larger navy faces a different calculation: spending the same premium across a run of 20 or more ships might instead purchase several additional hulls. Those extra ships can produce more aggregate availability even when each is individually less elaborate. The Kidds expose a procurement tradeoff between unit capability and the number of deployable ships.
Notable Point · 51:49-52:59
Why a small order can justify a premium warship
The premium-order comparison illustrates why a small navy may sensibly pay more for each ship while a large navy often gains more operational availability by buying additional hulls.