A strong hull still has to be repairable through life

Could new materials replace traditional keel-and-frame warship construction?

They can be tried, but the conventional structure often wins because it is easier to maintain, cut apart, and repair over the ship's life.

The choice is a through-life tradeoff rather than a contest in initial strength alone. A deeply interlocking structure can be hard to damage, yet that same integration makes damaged sections more difficult to remove and replace. Naval construction therefore balances build cost and resistance against the practical work a dockyard must perform decades later.