IIRC the armed services have often had recruitment issues over the past 30 years - the Army in particular has been reducing regiments etc for ages - and having to recruit in Fiji etc.
Whilst NAB and I do not agree about the UK Carriers I think we do agree that procurement and long term planning for the RN has been ... less than optimum....
The politicians seem unable to grasp the need for long term planning and commitments - a steady run-down of shipbuilding (what a brilliant idea it was to close Portsmouth for example - not!), stop start replacement programmes, general underfunding - it's been going on for decades now. It's not good.