Capability gaps outlive the governments that create them

Recognizing a defence problem is easier than implementing a solution amid economic, health-service, and industrial pressures. A government can describe a ten-year capability gap, but British constitutional practice prevents one Parliament from binding its successor to close it. Political and fiscal priorities may change several times before the promised restoration date arrives. The ministers who announce the gap are unlikely to face the eventual delivery decision. Durable force planning needs funded actions that can survive changes of government. A distant date alone cannot supply that durability.