Independent naval aircraft procurement would make the contest between the Admiralty and Air Ministry more openly political. The Air Ministry's desire to control purchasing is explained as part of its effort to protect the independent RAF. Major suppliers would also depend on naval contracts for ships, engines, and other equipment, giving them reasons to resist demands that alienated the Admiralty. One unproven suggestion is that naval spending on Vickers optical systems helped support the Skua's dive-bombing sight. The proposed connection is explicitly a suspicion, rather than a demonstrated funding history.
Chapter · 1:12:29-1:13:56
Naval purchasing power in the contest over aircraft procurement
The Admiralty's wider purchases from major manufacturers could help it resist Air Ministry control over naval aircraft procurement.