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DOP Note 706/70
Draft) Continued)
itself to those options which might be available in the short term
ie until the end of the year. It does not seek to provide a long
term solution.
3. In making this examination it has been assumed that all the
possibilities of utilising units stationed in the UK and BAOR for
service in Northern Ireland have been fully explored. This includes the employment of Public Duties battalions which play their full part in unaccompanied tours in Northern Ireland and overseas. The Irish battalions though not available for Service in Northern Ireland take their turn in unaccompanied toura overseas. The study is therefore confined to the possibility of the redeployment of units stationed elsewhere overseas.
4.
We have considered the use of Gurkha battalions in relieving
British battalions. We found that although it might be possible to
deploy them to certain areas they would be more useful in relieving a
British unit in the Far East. This option has therefore only been
covered in respect of the Far East.
5. It should be noted that the deployment of army units is
governed by certain guide lines to ensure fairness. For example,
after a period of unaccompanied overseas service units are put in
baulk until, in general terms, they have completed an equivalent
period in an accompanied role. A similar system operates in respect
of individuals, as opposed to units, in the Navy. Although these
guide lines have had to be "bent" on occasions to meet certain emergency situations, to do so as a matter of course would "mortgage" the future arms plot. It would also have a grave effect on morale
since the baulk guide lines are the main means of ensuring a
modicum of stability for units.
ó.
The paper starts with a discussion of those units still
serving in Northern Ireland, which were deployed to reinforce the
garrison in June and July to meet the increased threat of violence over that period. It then examines the various options for
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