A larger fleet also requires more sailors. The rough estimate is a 25 percent increase in Royal Navy personnel, which would make recruiting, training, and retention a major programme in their own right. Hull totals alone conceal this human operating requirement. Crewing capacity belongs in the force plan from the start.
Notable Point · 22:11-22:47
Personnel growth as the cost of a larger fleet
The larger escort and task-group structure would require roughly 25 percent more Royal Navy personnel, making recruiting and crewing part of the capability proposal rather than an invisible assumption.