The proposed long-range maritime patrol force would be jointly owned by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. It would include two UK squadrons, one in Scotland and one in Cornwall, plus smaller flights at Gibraltar and the Falklands. Naval and air-force personnel would be divided evenly to combine maritime and aviation expertise. The post-Nimrod patrol gap warns that one service's budget can erase a capability both services need. The parallel F-35B proposal favours retaining common aircraft across the two carriers and prospective LHDs while increasing orders and addressing logistical dependencies.
Chapter · 2:01:14-2:09:22
Maritime air power needs genuinely joint ownership
P-8 maritime patrol and F-35B carrier aviation work best as joint Navy-RAF capabilities with enough aircraft, bases, crews, and sovereign support.