A warship seen in port gives a foreign public or decision-maker a concrete image of a capability that would otherwise remain abstract. In this account, regular carrier visits illustrate how visible presence contributes to conventional deterrence. A touring British fast squadron could produce a similar effect. Italy's pursuit of speed as an advantage in the Mediterranean would also become less convincing against a larger British fast force. The pressure would increase further if Queen Elizabeth-class reconstructions joined that force at 28 knots.
Notable Point · 1:07:05-1:09:07
Visible fast ships could strengthen deterrence and challenge Italy's speed advantage
Regular visits by fast capital ships could make British naval power more tangible and weaken Italy's attempt to gain an advantage through speed.