MCNAMARA HINTS RUSSIA DEPLOYS ANTIMISSILE NET

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300080024-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 10, 2006
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: November 11, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2006/10/10: CIA-RDP70B00338R000300080024-1
.11 Nov
1V 1E Yid.. s .._
Administration WI Probably
Urge Poseidon Production,
Pentagon Chief 3eports
AIM IS SETTERi4FFENSE
New U.S. Siiwmarine Missile
Could Surpass Polaris in
:'enetrating Defenses
,y ROBI.RT B. SIMPLE Jr.
Spcctat to The New York Times
JOHNSON CITY, Tea., Nov.
13---Defense Secretary Robert
S. McNamara said today there
was "considerable evidence"
that the Soviet Union was build-
ing and Deploying an anti-ballis-
ti;: missive system, probably re-
quiring an increase in the
United States' offensive capa-
city.
The Secretary said that the
tldaninist:.tion would probably
recommend to, Congress that
the United States begin pro-
duction and deployment of the
Poseidon missile, a. large sub-
marine-launched missile with
greater power than the Polaris,
missile to penetrate sophisti-
cated dulease systems.
In the past Mr. McNamara
has told Congress that the Rus-
sions were developing a missile
defense system and were ex-
pected to deploy it as soon as
it was perfected. His statement
today suggests that the John-
son Administration believes
such dcploynr at is now faking,
place.
roseidon funds Granted
In the defense budget sub-
2nittcd ca Congress last Jan-
uary, 4ir. McNamara asked,
and got, funds to develop the
Poseidon nnissile. He has now
v2commended to the 2resident
deployment of this n-:: site as
a counter to the Russian de
fense system.
Mr. Mc\Tatnara reported today
that no decision had yet been
made to deploy-that is, pro-
duce 1 locate at sites in the
United State: -the: controver-
sial 1-;il:e-X rr;L.n1 ;c missile,
on which w w0-nl._.ta has al-
ready sport t : research
and c:cvelopment.
Re; _ding the 2oseidon Mr.q
McNaru.ma said that develop-
ment of the missile would rc
.quire:.'1 i_ost ti t-billion in Fed
oral ~:_o:nditures. He said its
deployment would cost "several'
additional billions."
gel Co,.2erence in Weelt
other things, deploy-
met_ of the Poseidon would'
mcra.. complete re-engineering of
the ..., c;- tubes on this coun-
try's fled. of Polaris subma
rines from vrhich the missiles'
would be launched if necessary.
The Secretary said that this
and other "refitting" changes
would cost "somewhat in ex-
cess" of 60 per cent of the initial
cost of the Polaris submarines.
Mr. McNamara :_:ew to the
LBJ Ranch this morning to con-
fer with President Johnson on
defense and budgetary matters.,
This afternoon, he addressed;
newsmen in the front yard of r
the Johnson horde uefore to-If
.turning to the capital. i
Today martied ;.Ir. Mc-{
Namara's third extended con-
ferenc(, wiLhY t,,.. iusident in`
the '_ast week in lereparation forl
the suppiemental military budg
et requests for the present fiscal)
Continued on page A, Column 1
Approved For Release 2006/10/10: CIA-RDP70B00338R000300080024-1
 CIA RI' 70B00338R000300080024-1
flARK HINTS
T DEFENSE PERIL
Contlnned 'From Page L CoI '1
yeir'and requests for the, fiscal
yei,r 1968
bn the subject,, of :United
States, antimissile) missiles, Mr.
Z*Namara -said he, has -dis=
kissed .with"Mr.. Johnson'the
}ossible. deployment oft such
seems," 'but'' had ',concluded
trot ' "it is r much too' early .to
itake a decision'for deployment
j'gainst the Chniese threat, and
we have not, arrived at. a . deci
lion on .any.other deployment."
Ie_ did not, however,, rule ut
the future deployment of. the
)Nike; ,k system against;: Soviet
offensve missiles, adding that
"we t'ill' continue our discus-
sions'.)n this subject-for some week$ to dome.
, .On 'the relationship between
fie Nike-X system and the Chi-
,aese threat, the Secretary said:
"The length of time required
to deploy, such a system is less
(han?the length of time required
for the Chinese Communists to
develop nuclear, weapons that
conceivably. could.. threaten this
nation..' Therefore, it is ? not
McNam' ara's Call. for Improved Offense
May Se Designed to Forestall Pressure
Special to The Nev York Times
WASHINGTON,. Nov. 10- civilian; agree that the United
Defense , Secretary, Robert. S. States must put' primary em-
McNamara's disclosure. that the phasis, on assuring that even
United States now believes Rus- after absorbing a surprise at-
sia probably is'deploying a mis- tack, enough missiles will sur-
sle defense around "the Soviet vive to wipe out the enemy.
Union may be the opening, round . As long as the Soviet Union
In. an ,Administration effort. to is convinced that the United
stave off potentially overwhelm- States retains this capability,
ing Congressional pressure for the argument goes, it cannot
for the United rationally initiate a nuclear war
States' to, follow and thereby risk' national sui-
News suit with its own cide.
Analysis advance systems Ih line with this reasoning,
of missile; killers. the United States has spent tens,
In making his an- of billions of dollars building!
nouncement today at the LBJ Minuteman missiles that are
Ranch in Texas, Mr. McNamara protected against attack in con-1
offered a san immediate answer Crete and steel silos buried deep'
to the' new strategic threat x underground, and submarine-
move to improve America's of- based Polaris missiles, which
Tense rather than: its defense. are protected against surprise
He recommended to the Pres- attack by the ocean.
ident, he said, the rapid re- Looking toward the possibil-
placement o fthe current breed ity of a Soviet'missile defense,;
of submarine-launched 'Polaris the Administration has over
missiles with a much larger the last five years spent more
Poseidon missile. Poseidon than $1-billion on a variety of,
would-be able to' carry roughly hush-hush -devices aimed atl
twice the payload .of - Polaris penetrating such defenses. Such'
and thus culd be jam-packed devices may be installed on bothl
land-based and sea-based mis-~
sires; the larger the missile, the
more penetration aids it can
timely at this time.to make a UCYLIieJ u=Lgiceu LU LUUI Lilt; 00-
. viet
decision to deploy such a system to its and slip through
to defend 'against 'the, Chinese to ts target.
I Role of Nike-X
Commuinst threat."
Mr. McNamara, coatless and ' While the Defense, Secretary
relaxed in the warm Texas sun, did; not. foreclose a decision to
also. assured his listeners that
development of and anti-ballistic
missile system by the Soviet
Union had not removed, the
United States' capacity to pene-
trate that country. He declared:
"'There is absolutely` no ? ques-
tion about our capability of
penetrating. the Soviet defenses
with both our-missiles and our
aircraft
He said "there had been no
question -about that"'during the
last 15 years 'and "there is no
question about it now when they
are similarly trying . to defend
against intercontinental ballistic
missiles."
In his opening. remarks, the
Secretary had indicated that
the Soviet' Union' was building,
anew antimissile system. News-
men then asked Mr," McNamara
whether the Russians ' were in
carry.
Some Would Go Further
Many Strategists, including?
the five members of the JointI~
deploy, 'as well, an AmericanI Chiefs ,of Staff,. would go still
missile defense, called Nike-Xfurther. They would deploy the):
his remarks suggested another
postponement of that, 'decision.
In the past, he repeatedly has
taken the position that even a
widespread .Nike-X system,,
costing upward of $20-billion,
would not prevent the Soviet
Union, in an all-out attack,
from killing tens of millions of
American ' citizens, and that
such a defense against that
threat therefore did not seem
attractive.
A much cheaper, thinner
Nike-X. system has been pro-
posed to protect the United
States against a smaller, less
sophisticated threat that the
Chinese may one day pose.
Mr. McNamara has said, how-
ever, that since the Chinese
C
ommunists are not expected to
fact doing-so.
"Yes," he replied. "I believe) have a large number of inter-
thcre is considerable evidence continental ballistic missiles tin-
that they are,". Itil about 1975;, and, since the
-"Is it an effective system?."Nike-X system would take only
asked one questioner.:.
`We Must, Assume'
"I think you would have to,
aSk them, he ;replied, But he
added,;,"We must assume it is
effective."
Asked when, the Russians
started deploying the ' system;
he said he would.' "rather not
try - to. approximate the date,"
but added unequivocally:
"They have. started such de-
vclopment. " '
As a result, Mr.: McNamara
reported, "we recommended; and
I believe will,. present' to the
Congress, a proposal to produce
and, deploy" the Poseidon offen
sive' system:
He '.described the -Poseidon as
"a, new missile for' deployment
at sea.." Initial development
work;,on the missile w asbegun
under the budget for .the ;cur
rent, fiscal year, 10.,. Greatly
expanded funds, however; Would
be required to produce:.` the mis-.
bile and refit the Polaris sub-
marines to accommodate it.,,,
about six or seven years to
deploy, a decision may also be
deferred in terms of the Chi-
Position Restated
Mr. McNamara repeated the
essence of his position vis-h-vis
the Chinese today. This sug-
gests no change in the Admin-
istration's estimate of China's
missile deployment timetable as
a result of her recent testing
of a medium range, atomic
tipped missile. ?
Top Defense Department
strategists are of mixed opinion
about the necessary combina-
tion'of offensive and.defensive
systems ` necessary . to insure
America's ability to deter it nu-
clear war or, IC deterrence fails,
to contend with it and survive.
All -planners, military suid
Nike-X missile. defense system
to reduce damage in the United
States should the unthinkablei?,
happen and nuclear war erupt,
whether by design or accident.'
,More than $2-billion has been
spent over the years devolopingi
the Nike-X system. It Is sup-!
posed to work this way: ? l
Its long-range radars would
pick up enemy missiles many
hundreds of miles distant and
would guide Nike. Zeus missiles
to intercept thm anywhere
from 50 to 400 miles from the
United States. If some missiles
should slip through this net, .
they 'would be attacked by .
superfast Sprint missiles, which
are designed to intercept at
lower altitudes.
In preparing his new defense
budget, for submission to Con-
gress. in' January, Mr. McNa-1
mara is faced once again; with
the Nike-X problem. Some of-
ficials believe he still feels the
time is not right for deploy-
ment.
But Congress showed' its im-;
patience this year when it ap
propriated nearly $168-million);
more' for Nike-X developments,
than the Administration. asked.
If Mr. McNamara. lied waited!
until ,,:'u.Congress :tumid out,i
through its own sources, that1
the Russians were likely putting)
in a comprehensive missile de-1
fense, a tremendous clamor
might have developed for they
United States to do likewise.
But, by taking toe offensive,!
by announcing Soviet activity
and demonstrating Administra-!
tion resolve to do i.1 with it with
better offensive ri:is: !1es, thel_
steam might be Lahr, out of them
drive for m ^iitce decease with'
a better dc. ca.'e.
Approved For Release 2006/10/10: CIA-RDP70B00338R000300080024-1