A small navy needs every ship to count, which pushes it toward more capable and expensive vessels. Those higher costs then reduce the number of hulls the country can afford, creating the small-navy paradox. A large navy can shelter lightly armed ships behind a strong combat core and reserve them for presence or constabulary work, whereas Spain had to employ Velasco-class ships as front-line combatants. In modern terms, their intended role resembled an offshore patrol vessel more than a frigate.
Chapter · 24:04-26:37
The small-navy paradox
Learn why cheap presence cruisers make sense beside a powerful battle fleet but become a dangerous economy for a navy where every hull must fight.