Would a seaplane-tender program add to or distract from the Royal Navy's carrier aviation?
Short answerIt would expand shipboard flights and could help the Royal Navy regain control of the Fleet Air Arm earlier.
NotesThe proposed tenders would strengthen carrier aviation by adding shipboard flights. Those flights were among the first categories to move under full naval control. Building enough tenders to sustain them would enlarge naval aviation. That growth could reinforce the case for returning the Fleet Air Arm to the Royal Navy sooner while giving carrier aviation a larger support establishment.