a working pressure of and temperature of . The turbines and boilers could be cross-connected in an emergency. The ships were designed to carry of fuel oil. Their maximum estimated range was at a speed of . They would have been equipped with six turbogenerators and two 330-kW diesel generators that supplied the common ring main at 220 volts. The Lion-class ships' main armament consisted of nine newly designed 45-calibre BL 16-inch Mark II guns in three hydraulically powered triple-gun turrets. The maximum elevation of the turrets was increased to +40° although the guns were loaded at +5°. They fired projectiles at a muzzle velocity of ; this provided a maximum range of . Their rate of fire was two rounds per minute and the ships carried 100 shells per gun. The secondary armament consisted of sixteen 50-calibre QF 5.25-inch Mk I dual-purpose guns in eight twin-gun mounts. They had a maximum depression of −5° and a maximum elevation of +70°. They fired an high-explosive shell at a muzzle velocity of . At maximum elevation, the guns had a maximum range of . Their normal rate of fire was about 7–8 rounds per minute and 400 rounds were provided for each gun. Short-range air defence was provided by 48 QF 2-pounder "pom-pom" guns in six octuple mountings. The 2-pounder gun fired a , shell at a muzzle velocity of to a distance of . The gun's rate of fire was approximately 96–98 rounds per minute and 1800 rounds per gun were carried by the ships. Their armour scheme was virtually identical to that of the KGVs. The waterline belt was intended to be made from Krupp cemented armour (KCA) thick and was long. The main portion of the belt would have been high, but a lower strake, high, extended an additional past the ends of the armoured citadel. It was intended to be tapered vertically from 14.7 inches in thickness to at the bottom edge of the belt, while the plates at the end of the belt would have been only thick at the top. Transverse bulkheads thick would have closed off each end of the armoured citadel. At the aft end of the steering gear compartment would have been a transverse bulkhead. The KCA face-plates of the main gun turrets were intended to be 15 inches thick and their roofs would have used non-cemented armour plates. Their sides remained