East of Suez

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British military and political discussions coined the term East of Suez. It referred to imperial interests beyond the European theatre (sometimes including, sometime excluding the Middle East). Previously, the empire's military infrastructure drew on sea lanes of communication through the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal and round the Cape to India and on to East Asia and Australia. With the end of empire, which began with Indian independence (1947), there was a gradual draw down of the military presence "east of Suez". In 1967, Prime Minister Harold Wilson and his Defence Secretary, Denis Healey, announced that British troops will be withdrawn in 1971 from major military bases in South East Asia, primarily in Malaysia, Singapore and Aden.

In June 1970, Edward Heath's government came to power and retained a small political and military commitment to South East Asia through the Five Power Defence Arrangements. Prior to the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China, Britain based several units in Hong Kong.

As of 2007, Britain maintains the School of Jungle Warfare in Brunei and a battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, in addition to some aircraft of the Army Air Corps. There is also a small British military presence remaining on Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory.