Contingency Plans - the media are speculating that the Autumn COUGAR 12 deployment is prepared for a mass evacuation of British citizens from Syria and neighbouring countries.    COUGAR 12 will include the Helicopter Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS as part of a substantial task force due to deploy to the eastern Mediterranean for large scale exercises after the Olympics lead by the Assault Ship BULWARK with 45 Commando, RM in the vanguard.    Amphibious landings in Sardinia, Albania and Turkey are scheduled with the likely exercise area will include Cyprus, juts 100 miles from the Syria mainland.    The Response Force Task Group, established by the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 has as part of a regular training cycle longstanding plans to conduct a series of exercises (with Allies) in the Mediterranean during October and November 2012.   Contingency planning takes place, of course, across a range of global scenarios and it would be outrangous if the media speculation were not true.