An escort shortage cannot be remedied by ordering six frigates for delivery within a year or two. Even the much larger shipbuilding industries of China, South Korea, and Japan are committed to existing work in this assessment. Skilled workers, yard space, and materials are already assigned through multi-year contracts. Keeping enough spare capacity idle for an unexpected foreign order would be uneconomic.
Chapter · 3:04-4:22
Why a warship shortage has no quick shipyard fix
Skilled labor, yard space, materials, and long production schedules prevent a navy from buying its way out of an escort shortage in a year or two.