One self-sufficient ship versus a specialized flotilla

Are several smaller specialized ships more efficient than one very large, self-sufficient BC-304?

Not automatically; smaller hulls improve distribution, but duplicate systems, depend on vulnerable specialists, and can make presence missions look more threatening.

A viewer raises the internal-transport and inertia problems of very large ships, suggesting self-contained neighborhoods or more smaller hulls. Elevators already move people, aircraft, and ammunition aboard large ships, so internal circulation is a design burden rather than an unprecedented obstacle. Fuel, food, workshops, spare parts, hull plating, missile components, weapons, and months of crew support consume enormous volume before combat systems are counted. Splitting those functions among specialists duplicates engines and fuel supplies, while the loss of one critical auxiliary can abort the entire mission. A self-sufficient ship also signals presence without the greater escalation implied by arriving with a flotilla.