The effect of naval treaties extended beyond the Royal Navy to Canada, Australia, and India. Old British destroyers might still be transferred, but Dominion governments could also buy or build new vessels if aggregate limits did not suppress the wider imperial fleet. Continuous orders would develop local personnel, maintenance, and shipbuilding capacity as well as add hulls. The relevant unit of analysis is the distributed naval system expected to support Britain's global commitments, rather than the British battle fleet alone.
Notable Point · 2:03:36-2:04:04
How treaty limits constrained Dominion navies as well as Britain
Without aggregate treaty pressure, Canada, Australia, and India could acquire newer ships instead of inheriting only aging British destroyers.