Why does computer hardware limit warship construction if the ship is mostly an integrated set of computers?
Short answerBecause supplying the hardware is only the start; making many specialized systems communicate and work reliably together can take months.
NotesA modern warship may look like a collection of networked computers, but that description hides the integration problem. Sensors, weapons, communications, machinery controls, and displays arrive with different interfaces and assumptions. Each component can work on its own while the complete combat system still fails to exchange data or behave predictably. An uncooperative printer provides the small-scale analogy, with the same frustration multiplied across a far larger and more consequential system. Six months or more can be consumed making the computers work together, and intermittent faults may remain after delivery. Hardware availability therefore sets one construction limit, while integration and testing set another.