infrastructure.
CONFIDENTIAL
Chapter Three
342. In 1992, HMS Plover rescued 26 survivors from a burning oil tanker
250 miles to the south-east of Hong Kong and remained on the scene to
fight the fire. SAR forces stationed at RAF Sek Kong won an award for the rescue of 24 seafarers in appalling weather off the coast of Hong Kong.
Military Task 1.21: The Maintenance and Activation of Service Evacuation
Plans
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343. In cases where civil contingency plans prove insufficient to guarantee their safety, we maintain the capability to evacuate British
nationals at short notice from a number of countries. Such evacuations
would only be mounted when all other options have been foreclosed. The
evacuation task has been the subject of a recent study to ensure that both
the planning and mounting of operations are undertaken as efficiently and effectively as possible. A number of changes have been proposed to the detail of plans, but the requirement for the task has been confirmed.
Military Task 1.22: Reinforcement of the Cyprus SBAs, Gibraltar,
Ascension Island, the Falklands and South Georgia, Diego Garcia, and
Hong Kong
344. The Government is committed to the stability, security and defence
of the dependent territories, including, if necessary, the restoration and
maintenance of law and order. None of the resident forces in Military
Tasks 1.15 to 1.20 are capable of meeting all possible contingencies and
therefore could require reinforcement. Rehearsal of reinforcement plans
contributes to deterrence, as well as maintain expertise.
CONFIDENTIAL
17