Higher Cold War defence spending did not mean that governments bought forces more rationally. Politicians could combine a little of several proposals and then choose the cheapest apparent option without producing a coherent programme. Continuous shipbuilding could still reduce costs by spreading industrial expenses and keeping domestic labour employed. The size of a defence budget and the quality of its procurement decisions are separate questions.
Notable Point · 2:19-3:22
Higher Cold War spending did not guarantee better procurement
A larger share of GDP devoted to defence did not necessarily make procurement more structured or sensible, although continuous construction could still lower costs and sustain employment.