Budget pressure redirected French carrier and aviation policy

In 1923 the naval staff requested another carrier similar to Béarn, but the proposal was rejected as too expensive rather than because its operational defects were decisive. France built the seaplane carrier Commandant Teste instead. The creation of an Air Ministry in 1928 then transferred naval aviation away from the Marine Nationale, following the British institutional example. French naval aviation stagnated while control remained divided. The navy recovered authority in 1936, giving it a renewed chance to shape the aircraft and operating concepts intended for later carriers.