Britain had 173 yards capable of at least some warship construction in the 1930s, far more than are available today. Not all those yards could build a battleship or carrier, but their existence made competitive tendering a plausible organising principle. Many procurement rules inherited from that era still assume a depth of competition that modern naval shipbuilding no longer possesses. Carrier-capable yards are now scarce enough that the historical assumption of a broad contest for each contract no longer holds.
Chapter · 23:40-25:42
Naval procurement rules outlived a much deeper shipyard market
Britain could identify 173 yards capable of some warship work in the 1930s, while modern naval construction has far fewer yards and much weaker competition.