Air Ministry priorities and Royal Navy aircraft shortages

Why did the RAF resist Royal Navy demands for better carrier fighters and aircraft support?

The Battle of Britain reinforced an urgent RAF claim on production and spares, leaving the Royal Navy's wider overseas needs under-supplied.

The RAF and Air Ministry regarded the defence of Britain as an existential priority and demanded the maximum available aircraft output. In this interpretation, an institution whose independence rested on strategic bombing faced its decisive battle trying to stop bombers getting through. The Royal Navy still needed aircraft for the Mediterranean, Far East and other overseas commitments, and regarded its requirements as modest. Expected development of the Fulmar, including better engines, fell behind those priorities. During operations around Crete, shortages of Merlin spares could ground naval aircraft even when combat losses had not exhausted them. Supplies reaching the Middle East were inadequate to sustain roughly 30 aircraft. The Royal Navy also lost the services of 50 pilots transferred to help the RAF during the Battle of Britain.