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Large ships are very complex and may take five to ten years to build. Improvements based on experience with building and operating the lead ship are likely to be incorporated into the design or construction of later ships in the class, so it is rare to have vessels that are identical.
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The second and later ships are often started before the first one is completed, launched and tested. Nevertheless, building copies is still more efficient and cost effective than building
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testing before following ships are completed, making the lead ship a combination of template and prototype, rather than expending resources on a prototype that will never see actual use.
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Navy Ship Names: Background for
Congress, Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs, May 12, 2017
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Ship classes are typically named in one of two ways; echoing the name of the lead ship, such as the
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The Last Epic Naval Battle: Voices from Leyte Gulf, by David Sears, p. 27, Organization and ships
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Builder of US Navy's new class aircraft carrier looks towards lead ship's upcoming trials
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to the lead ship. Occasionally, the lead ship will be launched and commissioned for
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US Navy, Commander, Naval
Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
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16:First of a series or class of ships
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195:frigates are known as the
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129:shakedown
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159:Olympic
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135:Naming
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84:The
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