TNAG-0479-FCO40-544-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 47

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Rhine Army

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14. Now for our stationed land forces in Germany. At present,

we maintain on the Continent of Europe a total of some 60,000

soldiers. This includes our brigade in Berlin and our

contribution to various NATO headquarters, but the majority make

up the British Army of the Rhine, which consists of a corps of

three all-regular, armoured divisions, stationed in Germany and

deployed across the line of one of the main potential Warsaw

Pact thrusts into the industrial and political heartland of

Western Europe. It is an essential component of the Northern

Army Group of SACEUR's Central Region.

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15. Our deployment on the Continent absorbs at present no less

than 40% of the trained strength of our Army, and an even higher

proportion almost 50%, of our actual combat units. Furthermore,

most of the Army in the UK exists, directly or indirectly, to

sustain or reinforce our contribution to the Northern Army Group.

This commitment is very costly, not only in budgetary terms, but

also in terms of our hard pressed balance of payments. Neverthe-

less, we attach such importance to Alliance defence and

deterrence in this crucial area of the Central Region and to the

Alliance's common stance in the IBFR negotiations, that we have

decided that we shall make no cuts in our land forces stationed

in Germany in advance of MBFR. We shall no doubt need to make

from time to time, as in the past, minor adjustments in support

posts and in manning levels as our precise manpower situation

fluctuates. Our aim, however, will be to stay as close as we

can to our Brussels Treaty commitment of 55,000 men, certainly

until the completion of an MBFR agreement. However, in the light

?

SECRET UK EYES A