TNAG-0539-FCO40-634-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 125

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

Despite these reductions

every effort will be made to implement the

planned improvements promised to NATO in the fields of anti-

armour and air defence. Provision will continue to be made for

major items which are essential for a modern field army in

Europe.

Royal Air Force

55. We shall maintain the planned numbers of our front-line combat

aircraft committed to NATO in Britain and West Germany. But the

reductions in our specialised reinforcement tasks and our with-

drawals from the Mediterranean and from most of our non-NATO

commitments will enable us to make a substantial reduction in the

RAF transport fleet and some reduction in the requirement for

maritime patrol aircraft.

56. RAF combat capability will be improved by the replacement of

Phantoms in the strike attack and reconnaissance roles by increased

numbers of Jaguars, which will allow the Phantoms to be transferred

to the air defence role; and in due course by the introduction

of the MRCA.

Our planned requirement for a total of 385

MRCAS is unaffected, but in order to spread the costs of the

programme in later years we propose to reduce the rate of deliveries

to the Royal Air Force by up to one-third. We shall be working out

the exact details with our collaborative partners.

57. By early 1976 we intend to reduce the fixed-wing element of

the RAF transport fleet by 50 per cent, from 115 to 57 aircraft.

The Comet and Britannia squadrons and the Andover tactical trans-

port force will be disbanded

a total of 39 aircraft; and the

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL