What might have replaced Gannet if the Royal Navy had retained fixed-wing carrier ASW?
Short answerThe Royal Navy might have bought S-3 Vikings for ASW and focused British development on a more capable Buccaneer for strike and perhaps air defence.
NotesAircraft choice depends on the continued existence of large carriers such as Ark Royal or CVA-01. In that fleet, fixed-wing ASW could remain viable, but developing a uniquely British successor to Gannet would be difficult to justify for a small production run. Buying the American S-3 Viking would free British industry to pursue an improved, exportable Buccaneer. A later follow-up suggests that Rolls-Royce engines might improve a British Viking's efficiency, while any advantage from domestic ASW systems would depend on how much Britain invested in them. With a suitable radar, the later Buccaneer might also contribute to air defence as well as strike. Industrial economics and development budgets would shape the air group as much as pure aircraft performance.