William Pitt Junior leaned back in his chair, unfolded the ship construction plan, and asked, "How much investment does this require?"
"600,000 British Pounds." Admiral Jervis, having evidently prepared a budget in advance, replied immediately, "This is for the development of new warships and the construction costs of the first 20 ships."
600,000 pounds is equivalent to 15 million francs, which is relatively economical without a predetermined research and development path.
After all, Joseph spent over tens of millions of francs to build the first batch of more than 20 "Light of the Mediterranean" class escort ships, even with existing steam engines.
Jervis glanced at the Prime Minister's face, darker than a piece of coal, and added:
"A significant portion of this is for improving the steam engine. As you know, our steam engines prioritize stability with standard pressure technology, but now they require high-pressure modification to reach the necessary power for warships."
