A navy cannot be judged well by lifting a design or doctrine out of its intended strategic setting. British, American, Japanese, German, and Italian choices could each make sense for different industrial bases, theatres, and concepts of operations. A system suited to continuous global operations might be wrong for a navy built around night fighting, a concentrated blow, or a shorter route from industry to theatre. Praising one service's solution does not imply that another service's different solution was bad.
Chapter · 11:27-13:53
Why naval design needs geostrategic context
Naval systems should be judged against national geography, operational reach, and doctrine rather than a universal ranking of ships or services.