Earlier fleets could draw on packet ships and other general-purpose merchant vessels that combined passengers and freight. Modern warships have specialized around sensors, computers, power, personnel, and support needs. Commercial operators have likewise specialized their hulls for economic efficiency, leaving fewer ships that can become general auxiliaries without extensive modification. Just-in-time purchasing works for businesses that can buy replacements on an open market, while warships, aircraft, and their spares have lead times measured in years. Government reserves and mobilization plans must account for those delays.
Notable Point · 16:28-18:49
Specialization shrinks the pool of wartime auxiliaries
Modern warships and merchant ships are both highly specialized, making the general-purpose auxiliary conversions of earlier wars harder to reproduce.