Why endurance matters for maritime patrol aircraft

Would the Royal Navy have preferred jet maritime patrol aircraft if it controlled the capability?

Probably not as a default: long endurance and efficient time on station are more valuable than jet speed for most maritime patrol work.

Time on station matters more to maritime patrol aircraft than dash speed. The Soviet Tu-95 Bear and American piston-powered patrol aircraft illustrate why long range and endurance could outweigh the attraction of jets. A Royal Navy procurement line might keep proven postwar aircraft longer, then seek another piston or turboprop design when replacement became necessary. A jet such as Nimrod could still be adapted around endurance, though a turboprop is more likely in this counterfactual. The outcome turns on how the Navy and Air Ministry would weight similar requirements.