CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

Malta are assigned to or earmarked for NATO. As a result of the

Government's decisions to concentrate the United Kingdom's defence

effort more fully in support of our priority NATO commitments,

NEAF squadrons will be disbanded or redeployed to the United Kingdom

and re-allocated to primary NATO tasks. Residual tasks in Cyprus will be

met by aircraft on detachment from the United Kingdom. Reductions have

already been made in the number of aircraft permanently based in

Cyprus in order to ease the accommodation problem there.

but the Wessex helicopters

In the Far East, we will continue to deploy helicopters

in support of the Hong Kong garrison

based in Singapore in support of Five Power Defence Arrangements will

be withdrawn and detachments of Nimrod aircraft will cease. The

reductions in our commitments detailed in Chapter I (paragraphs

to ) will permit the rundown of the Strategic Transport Force

to start in 1975.

28. Royal Air Force General Purpose Forces are at present:-

a.

Strike/Attack

b. Reconnaissance

Vulcan B2s in Strike Command and

NEAF; Buccaneers in Strike Command

and RAF Germany; and Phantom FGR 2s

in RAF Germany. (The latter are

being replaced by Jaguars in the

coming year and will then transfer

to the air defence role).

Vulcan SR2s in Strike Command;

Canberras in Strike Command and NEAF:

and Phantom FGR2s in Strike Command

and RAF Germany.

III 14

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

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