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be seriously impaired if the Alliance were seen to have no prospect
of maintaining an effective initial conventional defence, or no
valid options for the use of nuclear weapons other than at the
strategic level.
16. In establishing any conventional defensive posture it is
important that two major principles should not be neglected.
no form of defensive system or barrier has been evolved, which
cannot be breached or outflanked; and second, no defensive
First,
system can survive if it lacks depth and the capacity to endure
attack, and cannot itself pose an offensive threat of counter attack.
To be effective any counter attack must be mounted with a measure of
local superiority, which, especially for numerically inferior forces,
requires appropriate quality of equipments, adequate reserves,
excellent mobility, a high standard of training, good communications
and much resolution.
The British Contribution to the Alliance
17. The UK's main contribution to the Alliance lies less in numbers
than in the quality, versatility and combat effectiveness of its
forces. The UK has its own strategic nuclear deterrent, which is
declared to NATO, and also contributes tactical nuclear and
conventional forces. Under the revised Brussels Treaty of 1954
which governs all our contributions to the Alliance whether by
land, sea or air, we
we are obliged to maintain on the mainland of
Europe 55,000 men and a tactical air force, or such forces as
SACEUR regards as having equivalent fighting capacity. We provide
forces to all three major NATO Commanders and contribute to the
defence of all three regions of ACE. Moreover, except for some of
the mobilisation reinforcements for 1 (BR) Corps and BAOR, which are
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