The Type 45 and carrier examples lead to a broader point: each country gets the forces its politics will pay for. Procurement choices can start an inter-service funding fight or give services a reason to cooperate. In Britain's case, the F-35B and STOVL route linked the Royal Navy's carrier programme to the Royal Air Force through a shared aircraft. That partnership made the programme easier to defend politically.
Notable Point · 59:28-1:00:20
The F-35B turns procurement rivalry into partnership
A shared F-35B changes the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force from procurement rivals into partners, improving the carrier programme's political prospects.