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15 AORTHAG, or throughout the Central Region, or of maritime
reinforcement and amphibious capabilities, or of alternative means of carrying out these commitments should accompany consideration of changes in the relevant British air and naval capabilities.
68. Similarly our comparatively large R & D effort should be dove- tailed with that of our US and (through the Eurogroup) our European allies in order to achieve optimum production and procurement on a wide multi-national basis. There is some moderately successful
experience, eg joint R & D on the MRCA and the joint purchase of Lance, to build upon, and there is the example of the new Four Nation consortium for the F.104 replacement. Nevertheless in the light of
past experience, significant progress will require the exercise of
political will at a high level. We should encourage greater political involvement before national equipment decisions are taken, and,
building on the Eurogroup's work, aim for a coordinated European
procurement programme taking account of political, military and
industrial considerations on a Eurogroup-wide basis. The effect of
such policy over a period could be a significant reduction in UK R & D
expenditure.
Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions (MBFR)
69. Negotiations on MBFR are currently in progress in Vienna. Their
aim is to lower the level of military confrontation in Central Europe without & diminution in the security of the parties concerned. The
agreed allied approach to the negotiations provides for a first phase
of reductions limited to US and Soviet forces only, to be followed by a second phase which would include European reductione and result in an overall common ceiling in ground force manpower between NATO and the Warsaw Pact in Central Europe. The present allied proposals envisage total reductions on the NATO side of 77,000 soldiers, of whom 48,000
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