An economically focused defence programme would protect the bases that served Britain's main trade routes. A Caribbean position could monitor the approaches to the Panama Canal while remaining far enough away to avoid provoking the United States, with 6-inch guns justified against surface raiders. The Falklands provided a South Atlantic base and access to an alternative route into the Pacific. The proposal adds an air base, an airmail route, and a garrison there, with 9.2-inch guns suggested for protection. Producing the guns would also give work to British manufacturers seeking orders.
Notable Point · 31:59-33:42
Defending the Falklands and Caribbean trade routes
Caribbean coastal guns and a better-supported Falklands base could protect imperial shipping and preserve alternative routes between the Atlantic and Pacific.