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that the outcome should not affect credibility of
the agreed PATO strategy. We have also been deter-
mined that our action should not cut across the
current US initiative, which we support, to ensure
pays sufficient attenta to those measures necessary to ensure a stalwart conventional
that a
capability.
we have therefore attached t82 hirber
weightings in our analysis to the Front line strength
of the British armed forces, and in particular to
units which are
those forward-based on continental Europe.
L
we
maintain on the European mainland some 60,000
soldiers and the second tactical air force. /409
of the trained strength of the army and almost 502
of our combat units are in Germany, and most of the
army units maintained in the United kingdom itself
exist directly or indirectly to custein or reinforce.
PAOR. This commitment is very costly in both
budgetary and balanceof payments terms. We have
nevertheless decided that in view of the import: nee
for Allied strategy of the caintenance of ethetri vo
viable forward-based forces, and the nerd
to preserve the Alliance's MBPli neroliating
erotiating position, also in mind,, there shall be no cuts in Brok in
advance of BBWR. horeover, we shall maintain on
current capability to reinforce BAOR repid) widh
30,000 repular soldiers and 57,000 reservisto freq
the United Kingdom. we have examined the option of
dual-basing. It has some attractions from the
bal:nce of payı ente point of view, but none from the
perspective
overall financial a
•
goul to a dypton would also he
најоская зада
sinconsistent with our view of the
Lincor
need for ipzoptance of ready and prepositioned convention: 1
forces to resist the first impact of a Warcav j
Jact
/eth cl