Can a navy be run like a business?

How practical is it to run a navy like a business?

The reply judges a navy by its ability to deter and fight conflict. Its aircraft example argues that an on-call commercial service and continuous military coverage provide different levels of readiness.

The reply measures naval efficiency through deterrence, warfighting capability, and management of risk, whereas a business must make a profit. Its example concerns continuous aircraft overwatch over the Channel. That commitment requires roughly three or four aircraft, at least six crews, and maintenance support to keep one aircraft airborne around the clock. A commercial arrangement with one aircraft and a couple of alternating crews instead offers an aircraft waiting on the ground until called. Those services have different levels of availability. The argument is that requiring the commercial provider to supply the same continuous coverage would bring its costs much closer to those of the armed forces, with profit still to be covered.