Why Type 26 numbers should follow readiness cycles

Would sixteen Type 26 frigates be a more logical number?

Nine, twelve, or eighteen fit three-part readiness cycles more cleanly, with eighteen also matching the original plan.

The stream notes that Britain was buying eight Type 26 frigates even though the original ambition had been eighteen. The preferred alternatives are nine, twelve, or eighteen ships. Those numbers divide cleanly into groups of three, supporting a cycle in which one group deploys, one prepares or trains, and one undergoes maintenance or recovery. Larger totals also increase the absolute number likely to be available when defects or unexpected tasks arise. The answer treats fleet size as a readiness system rather than assuming every purchased hull can be deployed simultaneously.