c
VARIEN CONFIDENTIA
ZENTIAL
and 1 in UK, plus a smaller unit of about 200 in Brunei. This could be contained within the trained adult strength of 6000 provided for in our post-Defence Review plans. We would therefore be able to embark on the amalgamation and rundown as previously envisaged, but because of the timescale of the withdrawal, and the need to fit the reductions - which apply across the Brigade and not only in the battalions to be amalgamated to the deployment pattern we would
be unable to complete the process before autumn 1980_7. [NB.
[NB. ASD to
provide Annex setting out our intentions for withdrawal from Brunei, amalagamation and rundown, and arms plot; in particular, if there is to be a sizeable gap
between withdrawal and rundown we must have plans for the extra battalion
during that period where will it be, who pays for it? 7.
J
12. Provided the Brunei Government will pay for the battalion while it remains in Brunei, and for the Training Team thereafter, the financial consequences, once the rundown has been completed, would be as set out in the alternative assumption in LTC 78. If they will not pay for the Team, the cost of an additional Gurkha company will have to be found.
13.
Under
Further Delay in Reaching Agreement with Brunei Government.
these circumstances the commitment to station a battalion in Brunei would remain in being for an indeterminate period, the duration of which would be at least one year from the date of the eventual conclusion of negotiations. We would wish to continue stationing a Gurkha battalion in the UK, as well as the three in Hong Kong, and thus we would wish to retain five battalions until the Brunei problem could be finally resolved one way or the other; the solution thereafter would be as in whichever of the two foregoing scenarios actually applied.
C
-6- CONFIDENTIAL;
TIAL