The joke that navies have more admirals than ships overlooks the work those officers actually perform. Tens of billions of pounds in public procurement warrant leaders with long service experience and enough authority to direct large technical staffs. NATO and diplomatic posts similarly require officers able to coordinate with counterparts at the same senior level. A navy cannot demand decades of expertise while withholding promotion and competitive pay, then be surprised when skilled people leave for industry. The number of senior posts should therefore be judged against institutional responsibilities and the cost of losing expertise, rather than only against the number of commissioned hulls.
Notable Point · 57:28-59:04
Why naval procurement needs experienced senior officers
Managing multibillion-pound programs and allied staffs requires experienced officers whose rank, pay, and career prospects are sufficient to retain their expertise.