SECRET UK EYES A
C. March/April : Ex PURPLE WAVE (O0A CPX W Indies) 4
d.
April
e.
£.
g.
May
June
August :
COGS
Operation Prosperous (UNTAG
2 COGS
EX PROPER WATCH (NARO
Chinese unrest
-
NAMIBIA)
-
Bentwater)
Operation RADIATE (SF to Akrotiri/Beirut)
EXERCISES
74. OOA Exercise Policy. Formed at the start of this year to improve the mechanism for targeting exercises and deployments, the OOACG Exercises and Deployments Sub-Group continues to work towards achieving better coordination in OOA unit deployments. OOA exercises fall generally into three categories: major Joint
Service exercises the PURPLE exercises; major and minor unit
deployments by Single Services to gain access to more favourable
or less restricted facilities for Priority One training; and unit
deployments to train in challenging terrain or climatic conditions but not related specifically to the Priority One role
but a category which nevertheless frequently provides some training benefit to the host nation or has some sales
association. The 1988 00A Review touched on the use of exercises
to underpin UK national interests, and as a result of that Review the COS directed that the mechanism for targetting exercises and deployments should be improved. During the year the extent to
which the political importance of exercises can sometimes
outweigh their training value has come into focus on more than
one occasion. This has presented some difficulty in the allocation of scarce resources, such as air transport, amidst
Commands who are called upon to meet the costs. Concern has centred on the two areas not related to the Priority One role, the frequency of the PURPLE exercises and a necessity to make some unit deployments despite their cost in resources. Working with UKCICC (0), the Defence Staff have revised the PURPLE
exercise programme and largely reduced the pressure within it.
75.
Joint Service Exercises in 1989. Activity was somewhat less
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