More Maritime Manoeuvres

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32032, 5 July 1969, Page 13

More Maritime Manoeuvres

SINGAPORE, July 4.

Ships and aircraft from Britain, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia will hold a 17-day major maritime exercise, codenamed Julex ’69, in the South China Sea beginning next Monday, the British Far East Command announced today.

The British ships taking part will include tjie assault ship Fearless, the guidedmissile destroyer London, sev- ' en frigates and three submarines. There will be two Royal Australian Navy ves-

sels—the destroyer Vampire and the frigate Stuart—and the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate Otago. The Royal Malaysian Navy contribution will be the frigate Hang Tuah, three fast patrol boats and three other patrol craft British Lightning fighters, Australian Mirages, and New Zealand Canberras are among the aircraft which will be flying out from their bases in Singapore and Malaysia to take part in the exercise. The warships will be supported by Shackleton and Orion reconnaissance aircraft, which wiU be stationed at the British base at Changi for the duration of the exercise.

Today, nearly 40 aircraft from the British, Australian and New Zealand Air Forces

took part in an air defence exercise, Operation Fragrant, over Singapore.

British Lightning fighters based at Tengah, together with anti-aircraft guns and Tiger. Cat ground-to-air missiles “defended” the British base against “attacks” by R.A.A.F. Mirage fighters, R.N.Z.A.F. Canberra bombers, and R.A.F. Hunters, Canberras and Meteors.

In Kuala Lumpur today, it was announced that Britain had agreed to Malaysia spending £2im, or 10 per cent, of a promised £2sm loan on defence this year. This sum was about half of the amount originally expected to be spent from the loan in the present financial year, the Deputy-Secretary of Britain’s Ministry of Overseas

Development (Mr W. A. C. Mathieson) said, discussing at a press conference the aid being given to Malaysia, by way of interest-free loans and direct grants, to offset effects of Britain’s military withdrawal by 1971. Mr Mathieson confirmed that the defence-spending decision was a change from the original plans resulting from talks last year, when it was felt that all the money would be used for economic projects.

Last year, about £7m in aid was committed to a variety of projects, of which sum just under £2m was disbursed. A similar sum is expected to be committed this year, but discussions on the full commitment will continue.