Why Britain benefited from Rolls-Royce and Napier competition

Would Britain have benefited from consolidating Rolls-Royce and Napier into a single aero-engine company?

No. Competing design teams can preserve different technical approaches, and a useful capability can create new applications of its own.

Combining Rolls-Royce and Napier into one aero-engine concern would remove useful competition. Separate firms and design teams can pursue different architectures, challenge one another, and reduce dependence on a single technical path. A later exchange adds that an available capability can generate uses that planners did not initially foresee. Duplicate programs can be inefficient, but eliminating rivalry can also eliminate options and weaken the defense industrial base over time.