The fear of strategic obsolescence pushes navies toward new technology, while the fear of choosing a dead end encourages conservative steps. Modern claims about uncrewed escorts show the same tension: small patrol-sized systems may arrive quickly, but larger combatants require shipyard capacity, testing, integration, and trusted technology. Calling a small uncrewed patrol craft an escort can make an announcement sound as though a frigate-sized replacement is near even when the enabling infrastructure does not exist. Once steam became necessary, the Royal Navy moved at immense scale, building more steam ships of the line than most rivals combined at several points.
Notable Point · 5:07-8:32
The two fears governing naval innovation
Navies balance fear of falling behind against fear that an unproved choice will render expensive equipment useless.