CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
EFFECTS OF THE DECISIONS ON THE SERVICES
44. The implications of these reductions for the manpower and
equipment plans of the three Services, the Research and Development
(R&D) programme and for the defence industries are described
in the following paragraphs.
Royal Navy
45. From 1976 onwards all our major warships will be committed
to NATO in the Eastern Atlantic and Channel, although we will continue
from time to time to deploy ships in peace-time outside these areas.
We will no longer commit ships to NATO in the Mediterranean area, and we
will withdraw our naval forces hitherto stationed there and in Singapore
and the West Indies. The effect of these measures will be progres-
sive reductions of one-seventh in planned numbers of destroyers,
frigates and mine countermeasure vessels (MCMV8). There will be
consequential reductions in afloat support. We shall be specialis-
ing increasingly in nuclear-powered submarines, while other European
navies, such as the Royal Netherlands Navy, specialise in
conventionally-powered submarines. Consequently we will reduce planned
numbers of conventionally-powered submarines by about one quarter,
while continuing our nuclear-powered submarine programme. The new
class of anti-submarine cruisers will be continued, but we will
abandon our plans to replace the amphibious ships with new, purpose-
built vessels. Plans to replace the Wessex 5 helicopter have also
been abandoned. HMS Ark Royal will continue in service until the
late 1970s as previously planned.
46. The reductions in the numbers of destroyers and frigates,
which are accounted for by the cut in our overseas and Mediterranean
I 20
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 120Page 121