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one squadron.
year-for.
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month, only
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SECRETARY OF STATE
2.
entitled to fill. If this happened, the results would.be embarrassing, particularly if there were a recurrence of the 1967 internal troubles in Hong Kong. The RAF did not at present provide continuous cover; but aircraft could reach Hong Kong in a matter of hours. Mr.. Healey explained that RAP aircraft would be training at Singapore for periods in every year after 1971. He did not know whether these aircraft.
however, were planned to visit Hong Kong during these periods;
he would look into this on his return. The Governor said that he had been unaware of these plans. If aircraft could regularly visit Hong Kong this would certainly be better than nothing.
Helicopters
3.
The Governor then referred to CBF's request for sufficient helicopters to provide a simultaneous platoon lift, which he strongly endorsed - though he would not rate the priority above that of the Hunters. Ile agreed that the role of the helicopters would be internal security, and the police might use them occasionally. J Primarily, however, they were needed to enable the Army to deal promptly with minor disturbances in the outlying parts of the Colony which might escalate if not promptly suppressed. General Eugster explained that the minimum viable force for dealing with I.S. incidents was a platoon: exercises had shown that the "enemy" would usually be able to defeat or frustrate the defence whose present reaction time was too slow. Moreover, the ability to lift a whole platoom would be a much clearer demonstration of the Government's determination to remain in control.
Finance for additional requirements
4. Mr. Healey said that he was not in Hong Kong to negotiate on Hong Kong 's additional force requirements, let alone to take decisions on them. However, in the negotiations leading up to the prosent agreement, HMG had aimed to secure a more favourable deal than they had got; they would not now come back on that, but they would clearly find it extremely difficult to meet · additional requirements between now and 1971 unless Hong Kong paid for them. There was likely to be further pressure on the defence budget both in 1970 and, more especially, in 1971. Moreover, the requirement for both the Hunters and the helicopte: was a long-term one, and HMG would be most unwilling to enter into a commitment to meet it without a long term agreement acceptable to both sides. The Governor replied that the negotiation of the existing agreement had caused a great deal of difficulty with the Executive Committee, who did not accept that there was a distinction between internal security and external defence in the circumstances which he had outlined at the outset of the meeting; and who regarded free defence as the price
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