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Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) units and individuals,
the UK is unique among its European allies in that its stationed
forces allocated to NATO are all-regular, and maintained at a high
state of readiness which invaluably offsets their numerical
limitations.
18. The UK's forces, relative to those of other NATO nations,
possess high standards of both training and equipment; their
readiness, professionalism and combat effectiveness are widely
recognised and appreciated throughout the Alliance, and there is
every reason to believe that the WP hold the UK's contribution in
the same regard.
19. Naval Forces. The Royal Navy provides for NATO a balanced
fleet capable of the full range of naval operations in time of
tension or conventional war, or at various levels of nuclear conflict,
Virtually all units of the Royal Navy are assigned or earmarked to
NATO, and the UK's contribution of major war vessels is second only
to that of the US. Apart from France, the UK is the only European
nation to maintain an ocean-going naval capability on a major scale;
and so to be able to share with the USA the burden of maritime defence
at the higher levels of confrontation or conflict.
20. Land Forces. The UK's major contribution to NATO Land Forces
18 BAOR, totalling around 55,000 men, whose main fighting component,
1(BR) Corps, is an armoured three-division force which holds an
important sector of the Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) front. BAOR
would, on mobilisation, be almost doubled in size mainly in the
support and logistic fields.
21.
Air Forces. The UK's main contribution to NATO Air Forces 13:-
&
a mixed force of strike, attack, reconnaissance, and air
defence aircraft and air defence missiles, which forms an
integral and important element of NATO'8 2AT'F;
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