TNAG-0476-FCO40-541-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 57

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both in peace and war. The peacetime role is vividly typified by

the Northern Ireland task. In a period of tension or war such risks

as subversion, sabotage, infiltration, industrial unrest and terrorist

activities would call for guarding of key points, setting up and

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manning regional headquarters, civil defence and many other tasks in

conjunction with the civil police. A home based Army establishment

of 68,000 regular troops may well be already below the minimum level

for these tasks; and to:-

provide infrastructure and support for BAOR;

sustain a tolerable home to overseas ratio;

maintain a limited capability to reinforce ACE (no extra

troops are envisaged solely for this task)

meet national reinforcement tasks; and

insure against the unforeseen.

Thus many units are already double or even triple earmarked.

Nevertheless an arbitrary cut in the establishment of 3,000 men has

been postulated.

100. The Critical level. In arriving at its Critical level the

Army would have reduced its manpower establishment by a total of

18%, and its provision for new equipment by 30%, in addition to

making substantial cuts in the works programme and the support base.

Details of the resulting force strengths compared with those planned

in LTC 74 in 1978/9, as well as with the Army's current strength,

are set out in Appendix 2 to Annex L.

101. Air Forces. Within the Critical level the Ministry of Defence

has sought to make reductions in its front line air forces consistent

with the minimum loss of operational capability, and proposes

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