Sending the fleet east would raise demand for naval fighters without eliminating the Spitfire and Hurricane programs needed against a possible European threat. Britain might support more aircraft types because production priorities are divided rather than dominated by the Battle of Britain. Since Japan cannot immediately bomb British aircraft plants, early losses and the pressure for bombproof dispersal would be lower. That breathing space could be used to establish shadow factories while the European threat remains latent, making industrial geography part of the counterfactual as well as aircraft choice.
Notable Point · 10:40-12:36
Aircraft production without an immediate bombing threat
A Far Eastern war divides RAF and Fleet Air Arm priorities, but factories safe from immediate attack can expand and disperse on a less desperate timetable.