Could Nelson and Rodney be made faster for an Italian threat?

Could Nelson and Rodney have been modified during construction from 1925 to better engage hypothetical Italian fast battleships?

Possibly; F3 work showed that a faster twin-screw design was feasible, but the same Italian threat would probably change the 1930 treaty framework.

Nelson and Rodney could perhaps have been altered during construction from 1925 to meet hypothetical Italian fast battleships. The faster F3 battlecruiser studies also used a twin-screw arrangement, so two shafts alone did not rule out higher speed. A speed-oriented adjustment was possible if Italy created enough pressure, though no specific redesign is defined. A threat that serious would also affect the 1930 London Naval Treaty, making the counterfactual as much about strategic bargaining as machinery.