Presence fleets were planned in generations

The Town class was planned not merely for a looming war but for the Royal Navy's peacetime presence requirements over the following two decades. County-class cruisers were approaching the age at which a successor needed to enter service, so Town construction formed part of a rolling generational replacement. Once the Towns established themselves, another class would in turn have to be built to take over their role. This cycle sustained a visible instrument of British power and attention around the world: the ship protected interests, but its visit also announced that the government was watching.