An expensive warship could remain valuable despite rapid design change. Napoléon served for roughly twenty-four years, a respectable career for a wooden ship of the line, and the cost-conscious French Navy would hardly have retained her without work to do. She might no longer be the right opponent for Warrior, but most navies lacked anything comparable to Warrior and still faced a large ship carrying about ninety guns. Procurement debates therefore need to distinguish loss of first-line superiority from loss of all operational value. A platform overtaken at the technological frontier can continue to deter, show presence, or perform secondary missions throughout a substantial service life.
Notable Point · 47:46-48:56
Obsolescence did not erase service value
Napoléon’s roughly twenty-four-year career shows that a ship displaced from the leading battle line can remain useful and intimidating in secondary roles.