A naval-construction saying holds that steel and empty volume are comparatively cheap. Electronics, control equipment, and the electrical plant needed to power them increasingly dominated the cost of keeping a ship useful. Even machinery could be cheaper than the computer-management and power systems attached to it. A County-class hull also needed substantially more electrical output after World War II than its original design had anticipated. London's eight-inch turrets consumed space and required a dedicated training pipeline, so retention demanded an institutional commitment as well as a repair budget.
Notable Point · 38:06-39:41
Modern systems and training overtook the cost of the hull
London illustrates the postwar shift from steel and machinery toward electronics, electrical supply, weapons support, and specialist training as the costly parts of a warship.