The Dutch case carries into modern arguments about paying for defence. Governments may hope that diplomacy can substitute for military capacity or that two highly capable ships can replace five older ones. Such calculations often work only when every platform and supporting system performs perfectly. Maintenance, losses, and competing commitments make perfect availability implausible. A capability chart therefore cannot substitute for resilient force structure.
Notable Point · 1:51:08-1:52:02
Why paper capability cannot replace fleet capacity
Claims that two ships can replace five often depend on perfect availability, leaving diplomatic ambitions unsupported when real fleets face friction.