Completing Type 23 numbers could have prevented yard boom and bust

What would have changed if Britain had built the full planned Type 23 force?

The continuous yard workload could have made Type 45 cheaper and more numerous, though it might also have delayed Type 26 decisions.

A longer Type 23 run would have preserved workers and facilities until Type 45 construction. Continuous work could have reduced the next programme's startup cost and supported a larger destroyer order. The Royal Navy might also have retained several younger Type 23s into the present force. The tradeoff is that those newer frigates could have weakened the urgency behind Type 26 procurement.