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14.3
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HKC062/1
Mr Noakes JN 373
Mr Sawyer
Mr Cartwright
§3
OUT-OF-AREA COORDINATING GROUP: SUBGROUP
1.
FROM: P YARNOLD
DEFENCE DEPARTMENT
DATE:
16 March 1989
EXERCISES AND DEPLOYMENTS
I attended the inaugural meeting of this Group on 13 March. I am grateful for the briefing which Mr Cartwright provided me which proved useful and comprehensive. I think it was right for me to attend this first meeting, but I noted that although the meeting was nominally at one-star (ie Counsellor equivalent) level, most of the MOD participants were in fact represented by lower-ranking officers. I do not think therefore that we would cause any offence if at future meetings the department were to be. represented by Mr Noakes or Mr Sawyer.
As I said, the brief was comprehensive, and there were no surprises in the discusion. I will, however, highlight a
2.
a few minor points:
Naval Exercises
Most of these had been omitted from the list and it was agreed that the list should include all naval exercises planned.
New Zealand
There was a brief discussion of policy on exercising with New Zealand. In answer to a request, I said that our understanding was that the Royal Navy should not exercise bilaterally with New Zealand, but could do so in any multilateral context. I added that we were in continuous close touch with Sec (NS) on this subject.
FPDA
I spoke according to the brief. There was a long discussion about the wisdom of the RAF deploying to the Far East in 1991 rather than in 1990 or 1992, given the likely demands of Exercise PURPLE VICTORY in 1991. There was a call for better coordination between the Royal Navy and the RAF (not for the first time or the last!). There was also a wrangle between the Army and Royal Marine representatives as to which should undertake the FPDA land exercise in 1990. The Army won.
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