Joint planning could reduce the command failures around Force Z

A permanent imperial headquarters could develop NATO-like habits of consultation while its members retained different equipment and national priorities. Those differences would limit some of the expected savings and efficiencies. In the historical Far East arrangements, the Army and Royal Air Force shared a command structure while the Navy remained separate, even though naval reinforcement was central to the defence plan. Force Z's loss then damaged morale and disrupted expectations of naval support. A joint staff established twenty years earlier would have developed procedures for exchanging information and people responsible for correcting misunderstandings. It would make coordination failures less likely without guaranteeing their prevention.