A navy can divide anti-submarine, air-defence and land-attack work among specialists only if it receives all the complementary ships. A change of government can leave the first specialist class in service while the others remain unbuilt. The historical comparison draws on the Committee of Imperial Defence and the cooperation encouraged by the Cold War threat. Regular elections also have value in this account because turnover can challenge groupthink and introduce ideas. The argument concerns continuity across procurement cycles that are much longer than an election cycle. Without confidence in the complete force, a navy has a reason to request larger generalists.
Notable Point · 14:02-19:11
Specialist fleets depend on procurement continuity
Long procurement cycles make a specialist fleet vulnerable when later classes disappear from the purchase plan.