In this interpretation, anti-submarine warfare probably suffered most during the period when major powers expected wars of choice and no peer opponent. Aircraft and missiles remained visible threats, while submarines became easier to put out of mind. Another complacent response was to assume that submarines would get through, much as the interwar bomber was treated as unstoppable. Both attitudes evade the complications of actual warfare. The criticism concerns the assumptions behind neglecting ASW, rather than a detailed comparison of procurement budgets.
Notable Point · 22:01-22:59
Wars of choice encouraged neglect of the submarine threat
ASW is judged to have suffered especially when visible air threats held attention and submarines were ignored or presumed unstoppable.