CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENT TAI

service in the coming year include:

M

a. three Type 21 frigates;

b. the 105mm light gun;

c. the Clansman range of combat net radios;

d. the Blowpipe man-portable missile system for

very-low-level air defence;

e. three strike/attack Jaguar squadrons; and

f. one strike/attack Buccaneer squadron.

54. Outstanding among a succession of new weapons systems and equir-

ments which will come into service in the period up to the middle 1980s are

a new class of anti-submarine cruisers, the first of which,

HMS Invincible, is under construction; and the Multi-Role

Combat Aircraft, which has now entered a further stage of

development and is eventually expected to form about half the

planned combat front line strength of the Royal Air Force. In addi-

tion, the Lance tactical nuclear missile has been ordered from the

United States.

Reinforcement and Mobilisation

.55. A thorough review of the United Kingdom's reinforcement and

mobilisation plans is being undertaken. We expect that, through

rationalisation and other measures to exploit available resources

to their full, movement time between the United Kingdom and the

continent for individual and unit reinforcements (both Regular

and Reservist) will be reduced by about 30 per cent.

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CONFIDENT IAL

CONFIDENTIAL

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