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extensive cuts in the support area of air forces. Some of the air
forces, comprising offensive, air defence and reconnaissance
capabilities, are based forward on the Continent to meet the Brussels Treaty commitment to deploy a Tactical Air Force on the European mainland. These have not been reduced, as they provide a visible and necessary guarantee to the allies of the UK commitments, with all its other forces, to the Alliance and to its strategy.
102. The UK-based and NATO-based RAF squadrons have been examined in the light of their roles. Offensive air forces allotted to the strike/attack/recce role are judged to have a special importance: an aggressor is less likely to be deterred by defensive measures which offer no threat to his ability to launch and press home an attack; he would be obliged to divert substantial resources to air defence; many offensive air forces possess a dual (nuclear and conventional) capability which is of particular value to the NATO strategy of flexible response; their major characteristics of flexibility and speed of reaction enable them to be used either
independently or in direct support of land and sea forces. For
these reasons, only nominal reductions have been made in offensive
air forces. Similarly, none has been made in air defence capability which ought to be strengthened rather than reduced, in view of the importance of the UK base to both the national and NATO interest, the place of the UK Air Defence Region in the plans of SACEUR and
SACLANT and the growing Soviet air threat. The tanker force, associated with air defence as well as with strike/attack aircraft,
has nevertheless had to be reduced by nearly 40%. The K-based LRMP
force has remained intact, but the Mediterranean-based aircraft
have been removed, making a total reduction of nearly 25%.
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