Many "Armchair Admirals" have considered the Regia Marina as unwilling to fight, but there were many factors why major Italian warships kept confrontation with enemy warships to a minimum. Italian warships in service at the start of the war were modeled for two things only, speed and striking power. They were generally 3-5 knots faster than RN warships and usually had more firepower. But they lost critical armor for this addition. It was common to refer their armor plating as "cardboard". They also lacked radar which proved to be fatal for the Regia Marina. The Regia Marina's strategy of confrontation was developed from knowing their shortcomings. They relied heavily on their submarines, torpedo boats and EMB's as the assault force of the Regia Marina and saved the larger warships for convoy escorts to and from North Africa. These EMB's and Torpedo Boats were very effective and easily replaced if sunk, unlike their larger, more expensive counterparts.