Worn Type 23 frigates and the aborted Westminster refit show the cumulative effect of decades of overstretch. A hull believed suitable for life extension proved so degraded that completing the work was less attractive than replacement. Cold War assumptions that a major conflict would end or turn nuclear before reserves mobilized discouraged spare ships. Long wars, refit surprises, and accidents make a rotating reserve valuable because an activated hull can cover operations while another undergoes deep maintenance.
Chapter · 3:24:33-3:30:51
Reserve ships protect a fleet against long-war attrition
Small fleets are brittle when refits overrun or worn ships fail, making reserve hulls and low-end ships important to sustained readiness.