Separate naval procurement creates competition

Separate procurement would create disputes over fighter production and specialized naval equipment. Excluding experienced RNAS personnel forced the new Air Ministry to learn procurement as an institution, a process estimated here at fifteen to twenty years. A separate Admiralty customer could preserve naval engineers and direct manufacturer relationships, but it would compete with the Air Ministry for factories and designs. The wartime fight over Supermarine production shows how both services could defend rational priorities while still depriving the fleet of fighters. The Navy's historical recourse to American aircraft when domestic channels were closed illustrates how a buyer with an operational need might bypass that deadlock. The Skua dive-bombing sight also shows how specialized development could continue when a naval customer had a distinct requirement.