When public attention can force a Royal Navy policy response

Could sustained attention to the Royal Navy's current problems change government policy?

Possibly; the longer the issue dominates news and reaches ministers, the more likely the government is to respond.

A burst of attention does not by itself guarantee a policy change. Duration is the critical variable: a story that persists over the weekend and into the following week becomes harder for ministers to dismiss. Continued reporting and direct public pressure increase the government's perception that the issue has political weight. A longer-lived readiness controversy is therefore more likely to produce action than a short spike in coverage.