What determines naval readiness for a sudden major war

Which navy would be most vulnerable if a major war began in 2025, and should it prioritize people or equipment?

No last-minute choice can fix readiness; navies need existing personnel pipelines and industrial depth, with uncrewed systems offering the fastest route to expand some capabilities.

Asked in December 2024 about a major war beginning in 2025, the panel rejects the idea that a navy could transform its readiness in the few weeks available. Existing recruitment and training pipelines would matter more than a last-minute choice between personnel and equipment. Navies already developing large uncrewed underwater vehicles and uncrewed surface vessels could expand some capabilities faster than they could produce trained crews. The answer also depends on which countries actually enter the war, a point on which the participants disagree. Russia is then assessed fleet by fleet because the Northern and Pacific fleets' strategic-submarine missions give them different priorities from the Black Sea Fleet.