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(In terms of real resource cost, CINCHAN is absurdly cheap a staff
of 12 (not fil UK) over and above what the incumbent has anyway in
his CINCFLEET and CINCEASTLANT hats.) If we had to give it up, we
should get something for it. The best fall-back arrangement would be to make CINCHAN responsible for all European shallow waters under
either SACEUR or SACLANT. But if he came under SACEUR, there would be complications in co-ordinating submarine opeations currently handled between CINCHAN and SACLANT (the submarine aspects also complicate the idea of making CINCHAN rotational between the UK, Netherlands and Belgium, which my interlocuteur regarded as a
non-starter). A good deal of dark blue in this. But it was encouraging that CINCHAN himself recognises that a slimmed-down NATO command structure will probably mean losing the third MNC postion.
The UK would then need to retain the CINCEASTLANT slot, which might
itself need alteration to accommodate a "shallow seas" CINCHAN.
Min
PF RICKETTS
PR3ACT
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