Escorts, Central Europe, and the Polaris tradeoff

Should Britain shift more of its defence budget from Central Europe to sea power, and how might Polaris replacement affect naval construction?

Duffy would not dismiss Central Europe's needs, but called escorts the Royal Navy's and perhaps NATO's greatest requirement and pressed the government on Polaris's effect on specialist submarine construction.

John Wilkinson asks whether Britain should orient much more of its defence budget toward sea power and a major construction program rather than a static presence in Central Europe. Duffy refuses to answer with an unqualified yes because the Central Region also had legitimate responsibilities. He nevertheless calls escort vessels the Royal Navy's greatest need and possibly the alliance's greatest current need. He then presses the government on how Polaris replacement would affect the specialist yards needed for ballistic-missile submarines, attack submarines, and new diesel-electric boats. The exchange shows strategic prioritization as a choice among necessary commitments rather than a contest between an obviously useful navy and a useless land posture.