Everyone has goals, the Austrian Navy set its sights on reaching eighty percent of the Royal Navy's capability, and the French Navy naturally would not shy away.
As the second most powerful naval force in the world, it was obligatory to surpass the Austrian Navy, aiming for about ninety percent of the tonnage of the Royal Navy.
Everyone was quite respectful and did not intend to challenge British naval supremacy; their shipbuilding plans were merely meant to come close, not surpass.
Of course, this was just the perspective of France and Austria, but within the eyes of the London Government, it was seen differently.
Whether it was eighty percent or ninety percent of the tonnage, this threatened the hegemonic status of the Royal Navy.
Each was a global empire; their navies could not always be concentrated. Should someone break the unspoken rules and launch a surprise attack, the outcome would be hard to predict.
