TNAG-0757-FCO40-961-Strength-of-UK-armed-forces-stationed-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 38

SECRET ANNEX A to

DP 17778(C)(Preliminary Draft)

(Continued)

RN ships taking part in CENTO exercises is Priority Five

It appears that Priorities for Airlift may require

review to cater for future Friority Two Commitments. Even

after such a review, because the ATF is invariably tasked to after

the full, additional Priority Two Commitments will continue to

lead to disruption or cancellation of other tasks. If sufficient

notice is available it may be possible to arrange chartered airlift

to replace some routine ATF tasks. But commitments at short notice

will at best mean curtailment of routine tasks and a period to

recoup flying hours and engineering programmes. For example to

support a battalion group in Central Africe requires approximately

450 Hercules hours and 50 VC10 hours per month. Therefore any

additional commitment of this nature will entail either provision

of additional aircraft and aircrew, or foregoing existing low

priority exercizes, routine logistic resupply flights, and a

proportion of the special riights tasked to meet supplementary

airlift bids.

54. The loss of exercise training over a period will erode the

operational preparedness of the units concerned for their war

role a fact which may not go unnoticed in NATO particularly fer

those units subject to the Allied Command Europe Tactical

Evaluation Programme (TACEVAL) conducted by international teams.

Where units are directly concerned in contributing either trained

manpower or equipment to a Priority Two Commitment, the effect will

be compounded and a significant risk exists that such units would

not meet the TACEVAL requirements and consequently achieve a lower

rating than hitherto. In sum, significant reductions in airlift

and commitment of resources to non-NATO operations risks eroding

RAP credibility in NATO.

30 SECRET