The issue ot air power at sea has always been a controversial one. Land-based air forces have always considered themselves more than capable of defending the fleet, yet sea-based air power has often proved better placed to do so. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that the emergence of the Fleet Air Arm as a viable fighting force was not a straight-forward process. The merger of the Royal Naval Air Service with the Royal Flying Corps, which produced the Royal Air Force in 1918, meant that the newly-created air arm possessed aircraft designed to support naval operations together with the necessary expertise. While the Admiralty was allowed to build aircraft carriers, the control of the aircraft that operated from them remained with the Air Ministry. The navy did the best it could, but a basic lack of understanding of naval air needs meant that the aircraft provided were less than ideal. Eventually, however, the Admiralty gained control over its air assets and set about bringing them up to an improved standard.
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