A large fleet does not require every ship to remain fully commissioned in peacetime. Type 45 development costs were ultimately spread across six hulls rather than the larger force once contemplated. Building additional ships would have reduced the development-cost share attributed to each unit, even if some entered ordinary instead of active service. Newspaper criticism might focus on days at sea, but a reserve hull's purpose would be readiness for crew transfer, refit substitution, or mobilisation. This example connects reserve policy to production continuity and force-structure resilience rather than treating mothballing as wasted procurement.
Notable Point · 23:45-25:14
Extra Type 45 hulls spread development cost and create depth
The Type 45 example links reserve depth to procurement economics: a larger production run could spread development cost while placing some new hulls in ordinary.