b.
c.
Central Region, where BAOR and RAF Germany play a key role in NATO in facing the main threat from Warsaw Pact forces to the heartland of
Europe;
Eastern Atlantic and Channel Command, where there
is major maritime threat to the Alliance, especially from the Soviet Union's immense
superiority in submarines against which Britain provides major part of the sea and air forces readily available to NATO;
and for
d.
security of UK base, without which Britain could
not contribute to Alliance at all.
These contributions will be least affected by reductions. But some existing forward plans for improving the quantity and quality of contributions to these objectives will have to be tailored to fit
new level of resources to be devoted to defence.
10. Main burden of reductions within NATO will be focussed on capabilities which Britain can no longer afford to maintain alone among her European allies, and which are not vital to Britain's and Alliance's security. Government have concluded, after careful
examination, that, apart from the adjustments to our non-NATO commitments, we must make reductions in our general capability for reinforcement outside the key areas referred to above. shall, however, maintain a capability which will allow us to continue to provide the reinforcement forces which we regard as essential, having regard, for example, to the needs of NATO's Northern Flank, and this will remain an important element in our
contribution to the Alliance.
We
11. Detailed proposals on these lines are about to be put to our NATO allies. Significant cuts in all three Services Illustrative but unquantified examples.)
12.
Services will nevertheless remain capable of filling their essential NATO roles. Major cuts in support, including R & D, to
enable reductions in teeth arms to be minimised. Equipment
i
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