Force need not mean violence; it can be a controlled display of strength through a ship, embassy, or representative. A deployed warship becomes part of the clothing by which other governments judge the state behind it, so bearing and selection matter alongside raw armament. The Arleigh Burke example shows the ambiguity of always sending the most powerful available tool, because doing so may suggest that only the navy's best ship can handle the problem. Sending a visibly lesser vessel can project greater confidence and invite an opponent to imagine how much capability remains in reserve.
Notable Point · 8:08-11:40
Warships as the visible clothing of a state
A deployed warship shapes perceptions of the nation behind it, and sending something short of the fleet's strongest unit can sometimes signal greater confidence.