SEVNET
UK EYES A
b. Logistic Sea Movements. The retention of
overseas commitments at the level proposed would
necessitate a degree of sea maintenance using services
and commercial shipping; the cost would be in the order
of £1.7M p.a.
C.
The UK Support Base. The retention of forces
overseas would necessitate a larger UK support and
training base than that assumed at the Critical Level.
Since support cuts at that level were assessed on a broad overall basis it is impossible to compute for each service what might have to be restored; but the
total add back on this account might be up to
£5M p.a.
d.
Communications.
Some communications facilities
on the lines of the current Defence Communications
Network would have to be retained to support the final pattern of overseas deployments. The overall requirement and costs will need further study, but some provision has been made in the 'garrison costings'.
Summary of Costs
17. Forces Withdrawn to Europe. It was assumed that complete
withdrawal from non-NATO commitments would allow forces at a cost
of some £40M to be withdrawn to Europe, with subsequent disbandments
of this order at the Critical Level. Partial withdrawl as
described in this paper means that over half these forces (at a cost of some £22M) would have to be retained in non-NATO commitments. The majority of these (about £20M) are Army personnel retained mainly at Hong Kong and Cyprus.
14
SECRET UK EYES A