A stronger Indian and Australian maritime economy would naturally move goods, personnel, and naval forces through Singapore. Australian steel could support Indian construction while Indian production and labour flowed in the opposite direction. More regional shipbuilding would also encourage regular forward basing and maintenance at this strategic confluence. A later counterfactual keeps Singapore at the centre because control of the straits made Penang an inadequate substitute. Singapore would become a forward base embedded in a larger regional industrial network rather than an isolated fortress.
Notable Point · 1:36:03-1:39:38
Singapore connected Indian and Australian maritime industry
Singapore's value lay in its position at a trade and defence confluence linking India, Australia, and the routes between them.