Modern coastal defence must include protection against aircraft as well as ships. Britain generally assigned national air defence to the RAF, while the Bloodhound system provided only a limited land-based area layer in the 1960s and 1970s. No comparable successor followed for decades, with most missile capability at sea and only a small land inventory. The institutional choice matters because dispersed guns, sensors, troops, and anti-ship launchers remain vulnerable if an attacker can dominate the air.
Notable Point · 33:01-36:30
Britain's land-based area air defence faded after Bloodhound
Britain relied chiefly on fighter interception and shipborne missiles after its limited Bloodhound network, leaving modern coastal defence without a large land-based area layer.