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Chinese perceived that HMG did not have the force immediately
available to help deal with the unrest.
7. It has already been agreed with the Hong Kong Government that one of the two Gurkha battalions should be temporarily redeployed to carry out an emergency tour in Belize between October 1993 to March 1994. When it returns to Hong Kong, the UK resident battalion, currently 1st battalion The Black Watch, could be redeployed to the UK and would be available for other duties. The Army have requested six months notice of the
notice of the move and would
prefer it to take place during school holidays for administrative convenience. April 1994 would be achievable, but the preferred date is July 1994. The two Gurkha battalions left in Hong Kong would amalgamate, as already planned, into a single unit by September 1994. At some point before then, the resident garrison would relinquish its capability to relieve the police on the border (this would entail an amendment to the directive to Commander British Forces (CBF)). Before then we would also need
to review our plans for re-inforcement of Hong Kong and the role
such re-inforcements might carry out.
8. An accelerated run down along these lines would allow substantial reductions in support facilities to be made. A model showing illustratively what the garrison might look like, once such reductions had been made (probably by April 1995) is at
It may also be possible to make savings in RAF helicopter numbers though this will need
will need to be
to be investigated
further. The RN patrol craft are retained primarily for non-
retained Strong 2 defence reasons, at the instigation of the Hong Kong government,
and would not be affected by these proposals.
Annex
B.
L
9. Overall, although there is a risk involved, there is military
benefit in the scheme outlined in the previous paragraph in terms
of increasing flexibility elsewhere in the Army at a time when
commitments in Northern Ireland and with the UN show no sign of
reducing.
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