The Dutch East Indies as an economic-security problem

Japan's growing power in the Far East made the Dutch East Indies the central reason for expanding the fleet. The Netherlands depended economically on the Dutch East Indies, so balancing the budget by leaving them inadequately defended amounted to dropping insurance on a major asset. A supermarket analogy compares that choice to saving money by removing guards and cameras from the property that generates the income. The proposed submarines, minelayers, cruisers, destroyers, and aircraft would have formed a viable force that could make an attack more difficult and strengthen deterrence.