Small ships can be mass-produced, but each still needs engines, command-and-control systems, and weapons. Replacing one large ship with several small ones multiplies those expensive installations. Small wartime designs such as Flower-class corvettes and U-class submarines can also become costly to adapt when their original equipment and arrangements have to be replaced. Repeatedly building replacements for every technological change is unlikely to receive enough funding. Fleet planning therefore needs a balance of sizes and enough room for later changes.
Notable Point · 3:55:12-3:57:24
Why more small ships are not automatically cheaper
Several small ships duplicate expensive machinery and combat systems, while tightly packed wartime designs can be difficult to modernize.