Allied naval cooperation did not require lost sovereignty

Must smaller allied navies merge into one command to avoid being absorbed by the United States and losing autonomy?

No; closer cooperation and joint procurement can help, but allied wartime experience shows that integrated operations need not erase national control.

Closer command and procurement arrangements could help smaller allied navies sustain national shipbuilding and avoid dependence on the United States. Cooperation alone would not erase their sovereignty. Even exiled Polish and other Free navies retained national autonomy while operating alongside the Allies during the Second World War. The more immediate problem is whether governments will spend enough to keep their fleets and strategic industries viable.