SPOREI
DRAFT 16.10.75
AMP VCAS
CLOSURE OF 117 SIGNALS UNIQ. HONG KONG AND CONTINUED PROVISION OF ATC FACILITIES TO KAI TAK
The radar equipment on Tai Mo Shan operated until recently
by No 117 Signals Unit provided intelligence gathering facilities
on behalf of both the UK and the USA. As a sideline the radar
provided a long range surveillance facility for the civil airfield
at Kai Tak, the signal being transmitted by microwave link to the
Jivil Aviation Authority's ATC station where the picture was used
to provide additional information to that obtainable from the
Acthority's own equipment.
2. As a result of the Defence Review and following a reassessment
with the US of the benefit to be derived from the intelligence
information being so provided, it was decided to close the unit
completely and to withdraw all Service personnel. It emerged
from discussions with the Hong Kong Government that this would have
let the Civil Aviatica Authority without long range cover for
the civil airport at Kai Tak until new equipment which is about to
be ordered is delivered in about 2 years time. MOD was consequently
pressed strongly by the Hong Kong Government to keep the search
pelar elenort of the Tai Mo Shan installation in operation during
this period.
5. We in turn resisted this since there is no direct military
benefit to US or UK in our continuing to operate the radar. It would
appear that the CAA have relied upon the continued operation of
the signals unit in establishing their own radar procurement
programe and they were given reason to believe that we should
continue to operate the radar for the rest of the decade. The
MK CAA have been negotiating with Marconi for an updated version
of uneir existing vader to provide a range comparable to the Tai
/Mo