The submarine review links industrial weakness with an "end of history" outlook after the Cold War. The argument is that expectations of continued Western technological superiority made another major naval war seem unlikely. Future conflicts were therefore treated as wars of choice in this interpretation. Procurement delays could then appear tolerable because the ships were not expected to be needed urgently.
Notable Point · 2:55:23-2:56:24
Post-Cold War expectations and procurement urgency
A historical interpretation connects expectations of prolonged peace after the Cold War with greater tolerance of late naval procurement.