Air Defence targets such as control and reporting centres and air defence radars. There are currently no plans for protection against a conventional attack on these anchorages, which would be a national responsibility. Additionally many of the escorts assigned to the escort role lacked area air defence capabilities, so it was identified that land based air defence may have been needed from the CINCEASTLANT area – at the cost of taking conventional air defence fighters off other tasks. It was noted that:“Defence against enemy aircraft is part of the task of air defence of the United Kingdom. These papers reflect thinking on UK defence at a time when the UK was one of NATO’s largest and most capable military powers.