LETTER TO THE HONORABLE ROBERT S. MCNAMARA JOHN A. MCCONE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000400030008-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 11, 2003
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: November 23, 1964
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2003/05/29 : CIA-RDP80B01676R000400030
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 'Approved For Release 20 A-RDP80BO1676R00040003Od 8Qgive R-gistr
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
WASHINGTON
2 4 OCT 1964
Honorable John A. McCone
Director of Central Intelligence
I was very pleased to receive the new IAP-64: Intelligence
Assumptions for Planning -- Soviet Military Forces Through Mid-1970.
This document has several very useful features that represent a
substantial advance over previous intelligence publications:
1. Inclusion of the entire Soviet defense program summarized in
one document is a great convenience. As you know, we have done this
for our own program in the Five Year Force Structure and Financial
Program.
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2. Systematic projection of Soviet forces through 1970 provides a
better match to our information requirements for decisions on long lead-
time equipment and forces, even though the projections are assumptions
and not firm estimates.
~. Summary projection of the whole Soviet program helps us to
avoid some of the distortions that have resulted from a piecemeal
approach in the past.
I+. Correlation of information on forces with available information
and necessary assumptions as to costs, manpower, fissionable materials,
and other resource requirements, is bound to improve the quality of our
estimates, to help us understand Soviet planning and thinking, and
especially to help us avoid exaggeration of Soviet programs.
5. Inclusion of historical data beginning with 1961 helps us to
understand better the trends in Soviet forces. I very much hope that
future updatings of the IAP will maintain the 1961 baseline and extend
all forces back to it.
I believe that there are several useful lines of development along
which to proceed, including:
1. The value of the document can be maintained only if there is a .
systematic procedure for regular updating promptly after the issue of new
National Intelligence Estimates and "memoranda to holders of record,"
including the highlighting and analysis of changes from the previous issue.
VT -- D0WvGRADPiD AT ,'E^r' 1?ERVALS;
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