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reinforce Hong Kong with one battalion.
The actual flying time using Hercules aircraft and with no refuelling stop is 42 hours. When he can no longer do this from local resources the flying time for reinforcemente from the UK using VC 10s and including refuelling stops would be 24 hours over the CENTO route or 331⁄2 hours using the Westabout route but only provided that we had sufficient warning, that one of these air routes was available, that we had immediate clearance for their use, and that no major operations were in train elsewhere. These contingencies are of sufficient moment to forbid us to run the risks which they involve in matters affecting the security of Hong Kong.
Recommended Force Levels
6.
To meet the tasks outlined in paragraph 2 above it is considered that we should plan on maintaining in Hong Kong on a long-term basis the forces summarised below. The changes would be introduced progressively as the reductions in Singapore and Malaysia procecd but the process would be completed by the end of 1971:-
Royal Navy
+1
a. Two frigates. At present we maintain one, reinforced
by another from the Far East Fleet in time of tension, to support maritime police patrols and to deter Chinese naval interference and local piracy. After the withdrawal of the Far East Fleet (i.e. by the end of 1971) the reinforcement must be based on Hong Kong if it is to be available in time. Depending on deployment, it would take up to 28 days to provide a frigate from the Western Fleet.
+ 3
b. Five Mine Counter-Measures Vessels. At present two MCMVs are maintained continuously at Hong Kong by rota- tion from Singapore, and we can reinforce them by another two in times of tension. Their role is to support maritime police patrols preventing the influx of refugees. by sea, and to contribute to the control of piracy and smuggling. It is proposed that five MCMVs should be based on Hong Kong from June, 1969 after which time there will be no others based in Far East Command it would take some two months for MCMV reinforcements to arrive from West of Suez; the fifth is needed to allow for one to be undergoing maintenance at any time.
C.
as
Support Facilities. We shall need a small increase in facilities ashore, and the provision of one small tanker to guard against the loss of commercial shore fuel facilities through strike action or subversion.
Army
d.
73rds units, comprising six infantry battalions, one light regiment RA, one armoured car squadron, and one. field squadron RE. This provides for the initial deployment of two battalions and the 13rds supporting units for internal security duties in the New Territories and control of the frontier, two battalions in Kowloon and one on Hong Kong Island for internal security duties, and one battalion in immediate reserve, It could be argued, theoretically, that we could dispense with the last, and rely on rapid reinforcement from this country. But this might not be prudent: difficult internal security situations have developed rapidly in Hong Kong
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