Programme cost is not the same as ship unit cost

How much does each carrier or major warship really cost?

The answer depends on whether the figure includes programme development. Dividing total programme cost among too few ships exaggerates the construction cost of each additional hull.

The Type 45 destroyer shows how programme-level figures can make each hull look more expensive than its build cost. Research, design, and development spending was meant to be spread across a larger class than the six ships ultimately ordered. Once that fixed cost is paid, additional hulls can be cheaper than the average implied by the shortened programme. Procurement comparisons should therefore distinguish marginal ship cost from the full cost of creating a class.