How should a naval minister use roughly eight to ten percent of the British government budget?
Short answerBuild balanced carrier and amphibious groups, strengthen escorts and lift, improve sea-duty pay, and create more resilient strategic-submarine rotations.
NotesThe proposed programme begins by recapitalizing existing plans, expanding escorts, and paying sailors more for sea duty rather than buying isolated prestige hulls. It aims for three or four complete carrier battle groups and four amphibious groups, each built around an LHD, an LPD, and two landing ships. Pairing amphibious groups would allow brigade-scale movement, while combining all four with reserve lift could support a light division. A nine-boat strategic-submarine pool, with some boats configurable as SSGNs, would reduce the strain caused when an SSBN enters extended maintenance and make deterrent rotations more resilient.