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2ND DRAFT

Royal Air Force also provided a regular airlift of spares and fresh

food for the Royal Navy Task Force engaged in the operations.

Oman

63.

Oman.

Personnel loaned from the three Services continued to assist

the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces in their successful prosecution

of the war against the rebels in Dhofar, the south west province of

British Army and Royal Air Force personnel assist in running

Salalah airfield and defending it against rebel attacks. A detach-

ment of Royal Engineers has been assisting in military engineering

and civil development projects in Dhofar, and a British Army Training

Team continues to give training assistance to the Sultan's Armed Forces.

The Far East

64. Group deployments of HM ships to the Far East

started in 1973, when the cruiser HMS Tiger and the Fleet

submarine Dreadnought, with accompanying frigates and

support ships, deployed to the Far East in company for

parts of the deployment with ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

A group of ships, including the guided-missile destroyer HMS Fife,

was deployed to the Indian Ocean area in 1974, returning to the

United Kingdom in September. A group, including the helicopter

cruiser HMS Blake and HM Submarine Warspite, is now in the area.

The Persian Gulf

65.

Beira

HM ships made regular visits to the Persian Gulf area.

66. The patrol off Beira to enforce the United Nations Resolution

was maintained.

The West Indies

67.

Ships of the Fleet have continued to maintain a presence in

the West Indies.

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