Why naval needs are easy for politics to overlook

How serious is the political tendency to treat navies as expensive and unnecessary?

It is persistent; politicians may accept a capable platform but still buy too few for the roles the navy must perform.

Political underestimation of navies is treated as a persistent problem. Anti-submarine and air-sea-rescue helicopters provide the example: an expensive, capable aircraft still cannot cover the required roles if the fleet has too few of them. Fleet numbers must match operational demand as well as platform quality.