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UK EYES A
ANNEX B TO
D/ACDS (CONCEPTS)108/5 DATED OCT 91
THE STRATEGIC CONTEXT 2000 AND BEYOND
HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS
1.
Since 1945 the British armed forces have been involved in
over 70 operations 00A, ranging in intensity from peacekeeping to limited conventional war, in duration from a single day to 12 years, and in scale from a handful of specialist troops to major all-arms task forces. These have included support for the UN, defence of national interests, fulfilment of
agreements, restoration of sovereignty and colonial policing. A record of such involvements is at Appendix 1. One characteristic which predominates is thus the variety of the tasks undertaken, which has had implications for the planning of force structures and command and control organizations. second characteristic has been the preponderance of those operations which have been linked in some way to Britain's imperial past. Although this legacy has become a factor of diminishing importance as colonial responsibilities have been shed, the UK has a moral and constitutional duty to protect
the remainder. To shirk this would entail considerable political damage ('). Thus, though they will be only a lesser
A
factor in the calculation of the UK's future interests in the
world and how they are to be pursued, these residual responsibilities must nevertheless continue to be taken into
account.
NATIONAL STRATEGIC POLICY OBJECTIVES
The broad strategic objectives of British foreign policy are the enhancement of the security and prosperity of the UK and Dependent Territories, and the promotion and protection of
2.
'CDS 38/88
anb.2s1
- OOA Strategy Review.
B-1
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