Small warship classes make every hull look more expensive

Why do modern British warships appear so expensive compared with earlier classes?

Short production runs concentrate development costs on fewer hulls and forfeit the large savings and readiness benefits of later ships.

The Type 45 program shows how development costs planned for twelve ships were loaded onto only six, creating the headline of a billion-pound destroyer even though direct build cost was far lower. Later hulls would have been cheaper, just as late Type 23 frigates cost far less than the first ships. Extra hulls held in reserve can also preserve operational numbers while other ships undergo deep refit. Program size therefore affects acquisition cost and readiness together.