COMMITMENT
5 Gurkhas (In general)
Our recruitment of Gurkhas is the major plank of our relation- ship with Nepal.
6 Gurkhas in Brunei
7 Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs)
These are sovereign British territories but administered and "governed" by the MOD. As such their position is rather different from say Gibraltar and Hong Kong since they do not so much represent a defence "commitment" as a "task".
FORCE DEPLOYMENT
Strength of Brigade is some 7,357 men organised into 5 infantry battalions and 3 supporting corps. Overseas Deployments are to the Hong Kong Garrison until 1997 and Brunei until 1998.
Battalion stationed in Brunei at the Sultan's expense under a bilateral agreement which has been extended to run until 1998.
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4,300 troops stationed in the SBAS (2,811 Army, 1,450 RAF and 39 Navy).
PROPOSED CHANGES
Under Options for Change MOD officials have recommended to Ministers that the Brigade be reduced to 2,500 men. A fully effective presence in Hong Kong and the mainten- ance of a battalion in Brunei would be guaranteed.
Long Term - MOD have warned that militarily there will be no point in keeping the battalion beyond 1997, as their role as the acclimatised in- theatre reserve for Hong Kong will have disappeared.
No details have been made available other than Commander British Forces Cyprus (CBFC) has been asked to find 20% reduction in costs in real terms by 1995.
JS4ABY
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