A common 15-inch gun system could support coastal defenses

A larger 15-inch/50 program could reduce the expense of maintaining a separate 16-inch gun and ammunition system. Older 15-inch/42 weapons could also serve coastal defenses if they could use the same shells. Possible destinations include Singapore, the Channel coast, Scapa Flow, and Gibraltar. Starting the Singapore program earlier might allow more work to be completed before the Great Depression. The savings argument assumes that money would remain available to the navy because its budget became more stable after the Geddes cuts. The stated 41.4 percent reduction in British defense spending helps explain the attraction of avoiding another heavy-gun support system.