A hypothetical return to naval treaties raises a distinction between building hulls and equipping them. The prediction is that Britain would build ships up to the permitted size but leave some of their intended armament uninstalled. A cruiser-sized ship might consequently carry destroyer-level firepower, while retaining provision for a cruiser's weapons. Meeting a tonnage allowance would therefore say little by itself about the installed combat capability.
Notable Point · 8:01-8:43
Treaty tonnage and ships fitted for equipment they do not carry
A modern treaty counterfactual imagines British ships reaching their tonnage limits while carrying less armament than their hulls were designed to accept.