Britain's carrier-aircraft shortage illustrates the criticism of leaving procurement decisions until the last minute. There are enough aircraft for one carrier at full air-group capability at a time. Moving that group between carriers keeps aircraft, aircrew and maintainers under pressure because they lose downtime and time at home. Hull availability alone therefore cannot explain the strain on carrier aviation. Procurement has to be planned early enough to support the people and equipment that move between ships. The same timing problem affects other nations deciding which weapons to buy for new hulls.
Notable Point · 47:09-49:40
Sharing one carrier air group strains people and aircraft
Moving one fully capable air group between carriers puts sustained pressure on aircraft, crews and maintainers.