HIKK 10/9
ANNEX B
SECRET
Hong Kong Department,
(10)
18 February, 1969
Under cover of his letter IB 10/9 of 19 July, 1968, Heath Mason sent, you a copy of the study on the feasibility of maintaining a small Hunter fighter force in Hong Kong, which had been carried out by the Air Force Department of the Ministry of Defence. He mentioned in his letter that tho Chiefe of Staff, when approving in June 1968 the conclusions reached in the study, had given instructions that the Commander-in-Chief, Far East, should carry out a further and more detalled exemination of the matter to determine a precise breakdown of responsibilities as botween the R.A.F.. the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force and the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Corporation in maintaining and operating the proposed fighter forco,
2. This latter exercice was carried out in consultation rith youn Defence Secretary, the staff of the Commander British Forces, llong Kong, the officer Commanding, R.A.F. Kai Tak and the General Manager of the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Corporation. It was
completed in Septombor 1968. You will recall that it considered two alternative schemes (A) and (B) and that it recommended the adoption of scheme (D), which made minimal uso of backing by the Auxiliary Air Force. In putting forward his report the C. in G. Far East mentioned that both you and CBF supported the adoption of achemo (B).
3.
The above examination included the compilation of ontimated comparative costs for the two schemes, but those estimates related only to local couts and the exomination was intended to enable tho Ministry of Defence to complete the exercise by working out in full the total estimated costs of operating the proposed fighter unit. This the Ministry of Defence have now dono and I encloso a copy co the relevant extracte from their Report.
24. You will seo that the total recurrent costs of scheme (B) havo been estimated at £335,000 per annum. This figure representa tho total annual operating costs, including all local costs, of a detachment of five Huntors with three in resorve. Although thoro is no direct roference in the enclosure to thie letter to the question of how long the Huntor unit would be retained in Hong Kong, the Chiefs of Staff have previously stated that from the point ce view of puraly military and technical considerations, tho unit might be sustained until about 1975, by which time the situation would havo to ba reviewod. (Paragraph 6 of the preliminary feasibility study ntated that "whero tochnical considerations are concerned the averago Hunter mainplano fatiguo life would enable the aircraft to continuc in service until 1974/75.")
111a Excellency
Sir David Trench, GONG., MC.
bu one mouth
・ANG 2.69.1
I told Mr Whitmore
/ 5. ...
HWB10/9/15 today that we had writher to
the Erwono strit @1. Ano 19.269
SECRET
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