Q&A · 1:06:24-1:07:03

What remains of in-house naval ship design

Modern navies retain constructor expertise, but private yards now complete much of the detailed design once carried by royal dockyards.

Question

Do navies still design warships in house, or has design passed entirely to companies?

Short answer

Navies still retain in-house design capability, but commercial yards perform much more of the detailed completion work than they did when state dockyards were available.

Notes

Britain and other navies still keep naval constructors and design some systems internally, but those teams no longer possess the same staff strength or freedom as their historical predecessors. The disappearance of royal dockyards as complete design-and-build institutions means commercial shipyards now scope and finish much of the detailed design.