LOGNAIDENTIAL
d. The NATO nuclear deterrent. NATO strategy is founded
on the triad of conventional, tactical nuclear and.strategic
nuclear weapons. The Polaris force, which Britain will
continue to make available to the Alliance, provides a
unique European contribution to NATO's strategic nuclear
capability out of all proportion to the small fraction of
our defence budget which it costs to maintain. We shall
maintain its effectiveness. We do not intend to move to a
new generation of strategic nuclear weapons. We shall also
maintain our tactical nuclear capability, in accordance with
NATO strategy.
In addition we shall continue to maintain some specialist rein-
forcement capability (see paragraphs 26
to
27 below).
Specialist Reinforcement forces
26. There will be no reduction in the present British contribution
of a battalion group, support units, twelve Harrier aircraft and four Wessex helicopters to the Allied Command Europe (ACE) Mobile Force.
This contribution will continue to be available to SACEUR for
deployment throughout his area of command. But we will make
significant changes to our contributions of other specialist
reinforcement forces.
27. Our specialist reinforcement forces were originally designed
to meet our former world-wide commitments, as an alternative to
overseas garrisons, but were committed to NATO in 1968. The land
elements of the United Kingdom Mobile Force (UKMF) and United Kingdom Joint Airborne Task Force (UKJATFOR) have never been fully equipped for highly-mobile armoured operations in a NATO environment; and
the specialised amphibious shipping could only be replaced at
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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL