A navy of smaller ships can distribute assets across more stations and tasks. Those vessels, however, are often full at completion, leaving little spare space or weight for later systems. Modernizing them can require removing existing equipment before adding anything new. The comparison explains why the Diadems' large hulls could retain useful secondary roles after their original fighting value declined.
Notable Point · 33:39-34:33
Why large hulls are easier to modernize
Smaller ships can spread a fleet's presence, but tightly packed designs leave little room for later equipment and force harder refit tradeoffs.