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urth level.
and Annex N.
This part of the exercise is contained in Option E
52. The scope for reallocating resources within the Defence Budget
at the different level of savings has been examined in Option F.
53. The Ministry of Defence has considered what level of military
capability is the minimum necessary to meet our basic NATO commitment s
and maintain the viability of NATO strategy. This "Critical" level
In order
of capability is analysed in Option C and Annexes K and L.
to reduce to the minimum the adverse effects on our basic NATO
commitments from a given level of saving of expenditure it postulates total withdrawal from our Non-NATO commitments (Option A1) and savings
in specialist reinforcement forces (Option B).
54. Certain nuclear options have been examined in a separate more
highly classified paper, and summarised in Option G.
VII. OPTION A- GEOGRAPHICAL COMMITMENTS
Introduction
purely
55. The United Kingdom commitment to the NATO Alliance is the
linch-pin of our defence policy. Every possible saving in non-NATO expenditure and its back-up must therefore be rigorously
sought.
1)
Two alternatives are examined:-
Option A1 - Total Withdrawal
Under this Option we would abandon all our non-NATO obligations. This Option would involve an announcement of total withdrawal
from these obligations in the near future and as rapid implementation as possible with the object of achieving the
maximum savings. It might be possible substantially to have
completed this withdrawal by the end of 1976.
The total savings from complete withdrawal would amount to
£110m in an average year. This assumes that manpower to the
value of £40m would be redeployed to the NATO area.
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