Spearfish horsepower answered the slow torpedo-bomber problem

Why did Britain choose such a powerful engine for its last wartime torpedo bomber generation?

The extra power was meant to deliver a capable strike aircraft without repeating the Fleet Air Arm's slow-torpedo-bomber disadvantage.

British planners had accepted slower torpedo bombers when those aircraft matched contemporary carriers, logistics, and mission requirements. By the final wartime generation, the service was tired of operating and defending the slowest type in international comparisons. The roughly 2,825-horsepower Spearfish programme used power to carry weapons and equipment without surrendering speed. A later comparison in the stream places Spearfish above Avenger and Sea Wolf figures, reinforcing the point that avoiding last place had become a requirement in its own right.