How did eighteenth-century states advertise military capability?

How did states publicize military capabilities to enemies without compromising security in the 1780s?

They often did not draw a modern operational-security boundary and instead advertised their capabilities as loudly as possible.

The answer is deliberately blunt: eighteenth-century states did not necessarily recognize the same security problem a modern planner would. Public display could be treated as proof of strength rather than as an unacceptable disclosure. Military capability became part of prestige, warning, and propaganda even when publicity also informed rivals. The exchange is a reminder that operational-security norms are historically contingent.