Britain cannot choose neatly between Europe and commitments east of Suez. Economic interests and relationships with Australia, New Zealand, India, and other partners continue to create demands even after a formal strategic withdrawal. Closing the supporting bases made deployments farther east more expensive without removing the reasons for making them. Carrier aviation restores some reach and freedom of action when permanent shore infrastructure is no longer available.
Notable Point · 24:24-27:52
East of Suez commitments outlived the bases
Britain could close overseas bases more easily than it could abandon economic, political, and historical commitments across the Indian Ocean and Pacific.