Can navies standardize too much?

Can navies have too much standardization?

Yes. Standardization can simplify logistics and administration, but uniformity can also arise because a navy has too few viable alternatives.

Standardization can meet an organizational need by making equipment easier to support and administer. It can also result from a lack of options imposed from outside the organization. Those routes to uniformity need separate examination because adopting a common design does not establish that it is the best available solution. The historical and modern examples explore how much flexibility each choice leaves.