Buccaneer's development period left years in which it could not provide the intended answer to Sverdlov. A short war during that period would have had to be fought with the forces already available. The S.1 entered service before the more capable S.2, with the stronger capability arriving during the 1960s after development began in the early 1950s. The aircraft's availability also has to be considered alongside government decisions about retaining the carrier fleet. Developing a suitable weapon did not remove the interim problem or settle the future of the ships needed to operate it.
Notable Point · 51:39-53:09
Buccaneer's development time and the short-war planning gap
The years between starting Buccaneer and fielding its stronger variant left an interim threat, while carrier policy was changing.