TNAG-0179-FCO40-215-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-Garrison-1970 — Page 19

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7.

The Governor agreed that there appeared to be no practical alternative to accepting the Ministry of Defence's suggestion of visits

by RAF aircraft on training flight detachments

to the Far East. In any event he saw little point in having Hunter aircraft stationed in the Colony if, as appeared to be the intention,

they were to be withdrawn from service in a few years' time. The scale of training flight

visits contemplated did not constitute a very

full programme, particularly during the period 1970/71 and he hoped that this could be

improved upon. Visits by Vulcan and Canberra aircraft would be very welcome, but they would constitute no more than a RAF presence and what was really required was visits by fighter

aircraft. His advisers had stated that there

was no reason to strengthen the Kai Tak runway for the purpose of visits by Phantom aircraft but he suggested that a trial visit hy one of these aircraft should be arranged to see if, in fact, the runway was adequate. He

considered that the real value of these visits

was in the reminder that they provided that reinforcement was possible if necessary.

But

he had some misgiving that if the plan was that such visits should be organised specifically to meet an emergency at any time, they might in the event be regarded as provocative and therefore to be avoided if at

all possible.

8.

It was explained that the Chiefs of Staff were still examining the proposals for training

visits and there was some hope that an increased programme for them might be possible. The RAF programme of post-1971 training visits to Malaysia envisaged visits by 680 aircraft annually and it was possible that aircraft

already in S.E. Asia could be diverted to

Hong Kong on an ad hoc basis if required in an

emergency.

9.

Mr. Sykes said that the Ministry of Defence had now agreed that there should be no need for any capital expenditure on

strengthening the Kai Tak runway beyond that

for which funds had already been earmarked in

/ their