Britain lacks the continuous national history that gives some foreign sail training ships their symbolic status, and the Royal Navy has managed without a dedicated example for roughly a century. The emotional appeal of sail training does not by itself establish an operational requirement. Existing civilian or reconstructed sailing vessels can provide occasional experience without making the Navy own and support another specialist hull. If the price approaches a Type 26 or Type 31, the frigate is the better purchase because it contributes directly to the fighting fleet.
Notable Point · 2:16:34-2:18:55
A frigate matters more than a new sail training ship
The panel weighs the emotional appeal of a sail training ship against the operational value of another modern frigate.