Femal

20

Si Ca. Authg Mr. They were Aur bever

2012

Mr. Mclain WND.

Mar/2

m. Stuf/. Masud. He lean

DSAO DE SPH DCC 5019 0491652

T- BOLS WELLINGTON

PRIORITY 181543Z FEB

FROM MODUK AIR

TO

BOLS WELLINGTON

AS

HKIND.

queleson

76

Farm gaderon DD.

сту

12

19/2

BT

SECREI UK EYES B EXCLUSIVE

DIG RTT

EXCLUSIVE FOR PSO TO CAS FROM PS TO CAS PD THANK YOU FOR YOUR 162231Z FEB FROM CANBERRA PD CAS WISHED TO KNOW THE BACKGROUND TO THE PRESENT POSITION ON STC AND NATO PD WHEN CAS LEFT IT WAS HOPED THAT THE MSC APPOINTMENT FOR THE CINC STC WOULD BE AGREED

BY

EARLY FEB PD HOWEVER ON 31 JAN THE AMERICAN MILREP PROPOSED AN AMENDMENT TO REMOVE A PHRASE WHICH HE CLAIMED COULD BE RESTRICTIVE IN DEVELOPING COMMAND AND CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS IN THE FUTURE BETWEEN MNCS AND MSCS PD THE VARIOUS NATIONS CMM INCLUDING CURSELVES CMM FOUND THE CHANGE ACCEPTABLE PD HOWEVER WE HAVE JUST HEARD PAREN TODAY 18TH UNPAREN FROM D/UKMILREP THAT THE AMERICANS HAVE PROPOSED YET ANOTHER MINOR AMENDMENT AND CLEARANCE IS REQUESTED FROM NATIONS BY P1 FEB PD WE BELIEVE FROM UKNMR THAT THE AMENDMENT WILL AGAIN BE ACCEPTABLE THOUGH DETAILED WORDING IS AWAITED PD THE NET RESULT IS TO DELAY CMC'S LETTER TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL

AND DPC CLEARANCE STILL FURTHER CMM AND THE APPOINTMENT IS NOW UNLIKELY TO BE CONFIRMED BEFORE EARLY MARCH PD IN SUM CMM WE ARE

AT

THE MERCY OF THE NATO MACHINE AND IN PARTICULAR NATIONAL CAPITALS PD UKNMR IS NONETHELESS DOING HIS BEST TO EXPEDITE PD PARA TWO PD DS8 SUGGESTED I PASS ON TO YOU THE FOLLOWING ADDITION TO PARA 9 LITTLE ALPHA OF ITEM TWO OF HONG KONG BRIEF PAREN THE

FUTURE OF 117SU UNPAREN QUOTE HOWEVER CMM CRAF HONG KONG HAS

RECENTLY SIGNALLED TO SAY THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MAY BE SEEKING WAYS OF RETAINING THE SEARCH RADAR ELEMENT OF THE SU PD THE FCO HAVE ALSO RECEIVED STRONG REPRESENTATIONS FROM THE HONG KONG SECRETARY FOR SECURITY UNQUOTE PD SUGGESTED STAFF LINE FOR

CAS TO TAKE ON THIS SUBJECT IF IT ARISES IS AS FOLLOWS CLN QUOTE WE STATED IN OUR REPLY DATED 12 FEB 75 THAT THE RAF WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE SEARCH RADAR PD IF HONG KONG REQUIRE RAF ASSISTANCE RATHER THAN COMMERCIAL ASSISTANCE IN ITS OPERATION CMM THIS WOULD NEED CONSIDERATION INDEPENDENTLY REPEAT INDEPENDENTLY OF THE DEFENCE REVIEW PD THE AVAILABILITY OF SPARES AND THE PART PLAYED BY THE AMERICANS IN ANY CONTINUED OPERATION WOULD ALSO NEED CAREFUL STUDY PD UNQUOTE PD PARA THREE PD FINALLY THE MARITIME HARRIER PD NO DECISION HAS YET BEEN TAKEN PD S OF S HAS NOW HELD HIS MEETING WITH INTERESTED PARTIES CMM AT WHICH CDS REPRESENTED CHIEFS OF STAFF PD AT CONCLU- SION OF MEETING S OF S CALLED FOR A PAPER PULLING TOGETHER THE VARIOUS THREADS IN FAVOUR OF PROCEEDING WITH THE PROJECT PD WHEN S OF S HAS RECEIVED THIS PAPER PAREN WHICH IS BEING CO-ORDINATED BY DUS PAREN P UNPAREN UNPAREN PD HE WILL RECONSIDER THE MATTER WITH SPECIAL REGARD TO THE QUESTION OF TIMING AND HANDLING WITH HIS MINISTERIAL COLLEAGUES PD FROM THE RECORD OF THE MEETING IT IS CLEAR THAT S OF S HAS DOUBTS ABOUT PUTTING THE MARITIME HARRIER TO HIS OPD COLLEAGUES BEFORE THE WHITE PAPER HAS BEEN ACCEPTED

BY THEM AND PUBLISHED

BT

i.e. he's

he's afraid

I the g

Chancellor.

NNNN

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