How deferred refits created the Type 45 backlog

What is the Royal Navy's view of keeping ships in ordinary, and how did the Type 45 availability problem arise?

Repeatedly deferred refits created a pileup, and building only six Type 45s left too little depth to absorb it.

The Royal Navy is poorly positioned to make a broad public case for ships in ordinary while it is focused on the immediate availability crisis. Type 45 refits were repeatedly postponed as successive crises demanded the destroyers. Several now require work at the same time, and some cannot be used until their refit is completed. The shortage is compounded by the class having only six hulls rather than the nine then expected. Reserve depth and timely maintenance are linked because operational pressure consumes the margin needed to keep refits on schedule.