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this minimum level of capability the Ministry of Defence would wish
to withdraw completely from all current non-NATO commitments (Option
A1 above), at a saving of £110m a year. To the extent that these
savings could not be achieved, for political or other reasons, the
savings at the minimum level would be reduced.
Reductions in Reinforcement forces
92. Next, the Ministry of Defence would be forced to abandon some
specialised reinforcement capabilities as outlined in Option B1.
This would save a further £13m in 1978/9 and £65m in 1983/4m plus
the reductions in the air transport force of £27m in 1978/9 and £60m
in 1983/4 set out in paragraph 103 below.
In
Further Reductions to the Critical Levels of Military Capability
93. The Ministry of Defence has conducted an exhaustive examination
and analysis of the Critical level which is set out at Annex L.
order to secure maximum economies with the minimum effect on our
basic NATO commitments, the starting point has been to withdraw
completely from all national overseas commitments outside NATO,
from all commitments in the Southern Region of NATO; and to reduce
our specialised reinforcement forces to the maximum extent which is
militarily acceptable (Options A1 and B1 above). Further reductions
in capability are possible within the Critical level; the rationale
for these and an idea of their size is given below.
94.
Maritime forces. The Soviet Navy's maritime armoury gives it
the capability to conduct concurrent operations above, below and on
the surface of the sea, and Soviet tactics are to use a wide variety
of weapon systems to complement one another and to complicate the
derensive problem. NATO's counter must depend therefore on a
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