TNAG-0059-FCO40-95-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-garrison-1968 — Page 85

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DP Note 27/67(A) (Draft) (Continued)

If

the extra battalion and the helicopters until January 1968. the Governor requires an extra battalion throughout 1968 one can be provided from the Far East Theatre if the commitment off

Aden does not continue into 1968. However, if the Commando

for the Aden Comanecund

extra unit

brigade is required off Adenin 1968 this reinforcement can

the requirement

our other c

only be provided if is given the necessary priority

ARMY LONGER TERM PLANNING ISSUES

Strength of the Garrison 1970 Onwards

6.

Commander-in-Chief's Views. The Commander-in-Chief

He

مکستان

states that Far East Command will no longer have battalions

available either for roulement or for rapid reinforcement unless

a Commando is kept permanently available for this task.

recommends that from 1970 onwards the Garrison should be perm-

anently raised to a strength of 73 major units by rotating an

unaccompanied battalion from the United Kingdom on a six to

nine month tour.

The

7. Comment. The most recent examination (7) of forces

required for the garrison was made in 1966 when you concluded that the forces required were 63 major units. You further concluded that the two military tasks, frontier operations and

internal security are interdependent and complementory, and

any weakening of our ability to control the frontier could

lead to aggravation of the internal security situation.

size of the minimum land force garrison assumed the retention

of a future reinforcement capability of at least one battalion.

You recognised that, after October 1968, the reinforcing unit

might have to come from the United Kingdom and could take 5

days including 72 hours warning time. You may wish to establish

the size of the land force component of the garrison in the

1970's in the light of the situation at the time.

Note:

7. COS 119/66

-3

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