Defence cannot be funded in isolation from the institutions that make a fleet usable. Education supplies trained people, while healthcare helps retain personnel and reduces their concerns about families and injuries. Infrastructure such as dry docks can support naval maintenance and commercial shipping while sustaining a larger pool of maritime skills. Carrier policy is therefore a long-term national capacity decision, extending well beyond the purchase of a hull and aircraft.
Chapter · 1:19:00-1:20:55
A carrier capability needs an industrial ecosystem
Defence spending on carriers is inseparable from investment in trained people, health, education, yards, docks, and the wider industrial base.