The Royal Navy and U.S. Navy maintained contingency plans for fighting one another during the interwar period. Preparing for that possibility belonged to a naval staff's responsibility even when the governments were friendly. The absence of such planning is likened to dismissing another navy as too weak to deserve attention. British doubts about whether French contingencies warranted work supply the accompanying example. The existence of a plan therefore establishes preparation for a possible war, without by itself establishing political intent to start one.
Notable Point · 1:08:14-1:09:41
Why friendly navies kept war plans
British and American plans for fighting one another were professional contingency work between major navies, not evidence that either government intended war.