Would peacetime navies fund radio-guided weapons?

Would different states bother developing radio-guided munitions if missiles might still be decades away?

Some would, especially Britain and the United States, which could fund guided weapons alongside guns as preparation for a future war.

The answer is not universal: some states would invest in radio-guided weapons and others would not. Britain and the United States would likely fund them alongside conventional guns because another war is expected even if the new system is not yet decisive. This follows the same logic as building carriers alongside battleships, developing the coming capability without abandoning the proven one. Peacetime competition therefore sustains guided-weapon research while national budgets and institutions determine which designs reach service.