Smaller fleets push more sensors, weapons, and systems onto each surviving hull, making ships larger and more expensive. Governments then cut numbers again to save money, beginning the cycle anew. Designing the smallest hull that barely holds today's equipment also makes future alteration harder and more expensive than leaving useful space from the start. Furnishing a cramped room illustrates the problem: every addition requires careful measurement and compromises that a larger space would avoid. The proposed way out is to design for the required tasks, leave room for modification, and build the planned number before reconsidering the fleet.
Notable Point · 3:35-6:46
Shrinking fleets and the unvirtuous circle
Repeated fleet cuts load more capability onto each remaining ship, while tightly packed hulls make later modifications harder.