CONFIDENTIAL
Chapter Two
company and Tornado F3 air defence aircraft at RAF Mount Pleasant, and supported by Royal Navy presence in adjacent waters; Hercules tankers, helicopters and Rapier surface-to-air missiles provide additional support. These forces are designed to deter possible aggression against the Falkland Islands, South Georgia (where there is a small military presence) and the South Sandwich Islands, calling on reinforcements if necessary. Should
this deterrence fail, the garrison is tasked with maintaining the integrity of Mount Pleasant airfield as an airhead for reinforcement; defending other military installations in the Falkland Islands; providing for the safety of shipping and aircraft within the area; countering military action against. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; and providing 24-hour military SAR cover (and when military cover is not affected, SAR for the civil community).
Military Task 1.19: Maintain a presence in the British Indian Ocean Territory (Diego Garcia) to exercise British sovereignty.
41. The Government retains a British military presence in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) on Diego Garcia to exercise sovereign rights. A small naval party [NUMBER] carries out governmental administrative functions on behalf of the Commissioner of the BIOT and the FCO. Under an agreement made in 1976, the United States established naval and air facilities on Diego Garcia for an initial period of 50 years. Currently there are over 3,500 US Service personnel stationed there.
Military Task 1.20: Maintain the security of Hong Kong until 1997 by providing resident forces.
42. The Government aims to ensure stability and confidence in Hong
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