Flawed warship programs that might have worked

Which apparently bad warship design or program might actually have become successful?

Victorious's rebuild, an Implacable-first carrier modernization, a slower second-block LCS, and a properly implemented StanFlex system all had plausible routes to success.

HMS Victorious's reconstruction is offered as a concept that might have looked much better without the later fire and its consequences. Rebuilding the newer Implacable-class carriers first could also have placed scarce modernization effort into hulls with more remaining life. A second-block Littoral Combat Ship might have become useful if the United States accepted less speed and designed the follow-on around practical endurance and payload. Properly implementing the Danish StanFlex modular system is the final example, emphasizing that a sound idea can fail when copied without the institutions and discipline that made it work.