Procurement must prepare for peace as well as war

Many procurement systems score platforms almost entirely by wartime output. Ships must still fight effectively, while combat capability remains only one part of their strategic value. Hull numbers, internal flexibility, and visible deployment options also determine whether a navy can contain crises, reassure partners, and deter escalation before fighting begins. These effects are harder to express in a quantitative matrix because they depend on psychology, judgment, and human relationships. Conflict management is therefore a procurement requirement rather than a fortunate by-product of warship design.