These ships were the program's most visible battle-fleet component. Their heavy main battery and extensive quick-firing armament made confronting one in a contemporary French battleship an unattractive prospect. Building a substantial class also provided the operational and logistical homogeneity missing from many rival fleets. Construction was divided between royal and commercial yards: HMS Hood went to Chatham, while HMS Royal Oak was built by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead. Hood also let the Navy test a turret arrangement on an otherwise familiar hull.
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Royal Sovereign class gave the program a powerful battle line
The Royal Sovereigns combined heavy 13.5-inch guns, numerous quick-firers, and a repeatable class design that contrasted sharply with foreign one-offs.