CONFIDENTIAL
2ND DRAFT
9. One Royal Marines Commando Group, stationed in Scotland, is
trained in Arctic and mountain warfare. The Group exercises in
northern Norway to fit it for service on the northern flank of NATO.
Deployments outside the NATO Area
10. Naval forces are deployed outside the NATO area as follows:
The Far East and the Indian Ocean. A guardship and five
patrol craft are stationed at Hong Kong for maritime policing
duties, but these forces will be reviewed during the negotia-
tions for a new defence costs agreement with Hong Kong. A
frigate is currently stationed at Singapore as part of our
contribution to the Five Power defence arrangements but this
ship will be withdrawn by J. [A Royal Naval submarine
Ľ
is serving with the Royal Australian Navy until September 1975_7.
Other British naval tasks in the Indian Ocean and the seas of
South East Asia are being met primarily by deploying groups of
ships from the United Kingdom. At present each group includes
a cruiser or guided-missile destroyer, together with frigates,
Royal Fleet Auxiliaries in support, and a nuclear submarine
when possible. Groups shall continue to be deployed in this way,
but deployments will be adjusted in step with Defence Review
considerations.
b.
The West Indies. Two helicopter-carrying frigates, each
with a detachment of Royal Marines, are deployed in the West
Indies, augmented occasionally by other units for exercises and
trials. These forces will be withdrawn by
thereafter,
7, and
contingencies will be met by re-
deploying ships of our forces from the Eastern Atlantic.
C. The South Atlantic. The Ice Patrol ship HMS Endurance,
with a small detachment of Royal Marines, is in the Antarctic to
support the British Antarctic Survey and to conduct hydrographic surveys. This deployment will be discontinued by
7.
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CONFIDENT I AL
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