SECRET
Availability of Helicopters for IS Operations
6. The present small force of six Whirlwind helicopters has pred inadequate because operating conditions in Hong Kong prevent it achieving a simultaneous lift of a platoon. This s unacceptable because the smallest IS unit is the platoon, hich to remain a useful force in IS operations, must be deployed as a whole unit. You have a separate brief on the proposal to increase this force.
7. There are 12 Army Sioux helicopters in Hong Kong, which are available for reconnaissance and liaison tasks.
Internal Security Training
8. All units carry out regular IS training and take part in military and police military exercises to test their states of readiness and ability to meet the IS threat in the Colony. The last major combined police military exercise took place in April and the next one will be in September.
Internal Security Situation
9. The situation in the Colony has been quiet for some time. The communists are now avoiding violent confrontation with the authorities, and following a policy of building up support by less violent means, especially by propaganda in schools and trade unions.
10. Border. Apart from a few minor assaults on border police the only communist activities in recent months have been the holding of large scale picnic parties in the New Territories.
11. Islands. So far there have been no IS troubles on the Islands. Their multiplicity and distance apart however could well prove to be a problem, should IS trouble develop on one of them. It would be difficult to localise the trouble, and without a significant helicopter force it would take some time to deploy troops to the area of the trouble by sea.