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# British Withdrawal - By the 1960s, the British had a different view of their military involvement in Asia. Although Britain saw the importance of maintaining its military presence in the region, it could no longer afford the large amount of money and resources to maintain this military commitment...

# British Withdrawal - By the 1960s, the British had a different view of their military involvement in Asia. Although Britain saw the importance of maintaining its military presence in the region, it could no longer afford the large amount of money and resources to maintain this military commitment. It needed to focus on rebuilding its economy at home. - Thus, the British government announced in 1967 that it would withdraw its defense forces from Singapore. By 1971, the majority of British forces had left, and the withdrawal was completed in 1976. - The announcement of the withdrawal added to the defense challenges facing a newly independent Singapore. - It would be left practically undefended. - At the point of independence, Singapore only had 2 battalions of regular infantry of 50 officers and about 1000 men each, two small naval vessels and no air force.