British economy of force in the East Indies

The East Indies campaigns posed an economy-of-force problem. Britain aimed to take Ceylon, the Cape Colony, Saldanha Bay, and other important positions with the limited resources available locally. The Royal Navy largely blockaded the principal French bases instead of mounting costly assaults on all of them. At the Battle of Ile Ronde, Cybèle and Prudente fought Centurion and Diomede to a costly stalemate, after which the French ships returned to port. Relatively small squadrons and locally supported expeditions could then pursue opportunities elsewhere. The approach sought the greatest strategic return from the forces sent from Britain.