TNAG-0476-FCO40-541-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 19

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Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) units and individuals,

the UK is unique among its European allies in that its stationed

forces allocated to NATO are all-regular, and maintained at a high

state of readiness which invaluably offsets their numerical

limitations.

18. The UK's forces, relative to those of other NATO nations,

possess high standards of both training and equipment; their

readiness, professionalism and combat effectiveness are widely

recognised and appreciated throughout the Alliance, and there is

every reason to believe that the WP hold the UK's contribution in

the same regard.

19. Naval Forces. The Royal Navy provides for NATO a balanced

fleet capable of the full range of naval operations in time of

tension or conventional war, or at various levels of nuclear conflict,

Virtually all units of the Royal Navy are assigned or earmarked to

NATO, and the UK's contribution of major war vessels is second only

to that of the US. Apart from France, the UK is the only European

nation to maintain an ocean-going naval capability on a major scale;

and so to be able to share with the USA the burden of maritime defence

at the higher levels of confrontation or conflict.

20. Land Forces. The UK's major contribution to NATO Land Forces

18 BAOR, totalling around 55,000 men, whose main fighting component,

1(BR) Corps, is an armoured three-division force which holds an

important sector of the Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) front. BAOR

would, on mobilisation, be almost doubled in size mainly in the

support and logistic fields.

21.

Air Forces. The UK's main contribution to NATO Air Forces 13:-

&

a mixed force of strike, attack, reconnaissance, and air

defence aircraft and air defence missiles, which forms an

integral and important element of NATO'8 2AT'F;

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