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both in peace and war. The peacetime role is vividly typified by
the Northern Ireland task. In a period of tension or war such risks
as subversion, sabotage, infiltration, industrial unrest and terrorist
activities would call for guarding of key points, setting up and
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manning regional headquarters, civil defence and many other tasks in
conjunction with the civil police. A home based Army establishment
of 68,000 regular troops may well be already below the minimum level
for these tasks; and to:-
provide infrastructure and support for BAOR;
sustain a tolerable home to overseas ratio;
maintain a limited capability to reinforce ACE (no extra
troops are envisaged solely for this task)
meet national reinforcement tasks; and
insure against the unforeseen.
Thus many units are already double or even triple earmarked.
Nevertheless an arbitrary cut in the establishment of 3,000 men has
been postulated.
100. The Critical level. In arriving at its Critical level the
Army would have reduced its manpower establishment by a total of
18%, and its provision for new equipment by 30%, in addition to
making substantial cuts in the works programme and the support base.
Details of the resulting force strengths compared with those planned
in LTC 74 in 1978/9, as well as with the Army's current strength,
are set out in Appendix 2 to Annex L.
101. Air Forces. Within the Critical level the Ministry of Defence
has sought to make reductions in its front line air forces consistent
with the minimum loss of operational capability, and proposes
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