WEINBERGER, IN ERROR, SAYS SOVIET DOWNED OWN MISSILE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000707060028-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: February 1, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707060028-3
ARTICLE APPEARED, O"q PAGE A - 3
NEW YOKK TIJES
1 February 1965
Weinberger,'inError, Says
SovietDotvnedOwn Missile:
WASHINGTON, Jan. I'- Defense
,ecietary Caspar W. Weinberger told a
,enate committee today that the Soviet
)nion recently "shot down one of their
Trant missiles that was on its way at
east into Finland." But Defense De-
:aatment officials said latex that he
as mistaken. -- . -4,.
Mr. _ Weinberger was, appaMty
eferring to an incident Dec.' 28 in.
which a Soviet missile, which Moscow
aid was being used for target practice
rver the Barents sea, veered off course
rver Norway and crashed in Finland.
Kosow subsequently apologized to Fin-
and and Norway for the episode.:.. .
The Defense Secretary twice made
he assertion that the missile had been
shot down during testimony before the
>enate Foreign'Relations Committee,
which was hearing testimony on Press=
lent Reagan's plan to develop a:de-
te.nse against incoming missiles..2dr.
Weinberger said the incident was -a
remonstration of what he said was the
Soviet union's ability to defend itself
against incoming cruise missiles_:
Spokesman's Statement."._
But his spokesman, ' Michael,'-"L.
Burch, said of the missil e: '.'The Secre-
t it was
th
t
to i
l
did
a
mean
mp
y
no
Lary
shot down by a Soviet airplane over
Finnish airspace.
"What the Secretary is trying to say
is that the Soviets are working on a
cruise missile defense system. It is
within the technology. They can do.it,
and we can do it."
. Administration officials . familiar
with intelligence information about the
Soviet union said toda v that they wei e
unaware of any data that would su -
aest the Soviet union scrambled
fighter planes to intercept the errant
~Mr. Weinberger's remarks came one
-day after a British newspaper, citing
unnamed "authoritative" sources, re-
ported?that the Soviet missile was a
cruise missile that had been mis-pro-
grammed to fly toward West Germany,
and that it had been shot down by twc
Soviet MIG interceptor planes. The
newspaper, the Daily Express of Lon}
don, said the Russsians had used `the
"hot line" -to inform United States offi
cials of the mishap, but the incideni
was kept quiet to avoid jeopardizing
By BILL KELLER
Special to The New YOIt Timee
The Daily Express report-
.-The denied by officials in West
Germany, Finland, Britain and the
United States...A spokesman-for the
West German Defense Ministry, Lieut.
Colonel. Norbert Huebner, was quoted
as saying that. the missile "was not
capable of covering such a distance." A
Finnish Army spokesman, Lieut. Col.
Antti Mustonen, told The Associated
Press that the newspaper report had
"no basis whatsoever." - -- . -' ?. - .
Mr. Burch said this evening that The
"'Later in the afternoon, responding to'.
questioning about the . proposed anti
'? missile defense system from Senator*"
.Larry,.Pressler,.Republican of South."
Dakota, Mr. Weinberger said: "The;-4
Soviets have already demonstrated one".
method by shooting down their cruise-
missile that somehow got away from,!
them and was starting to work its way,.
across Norway and. Finland." .' e''
. Pressed,by reporters, Mr. Burch de-4
clined to characterize Mr. W einber-`.
ing only, "I have issued a subsequent;.
`to confirm the false report in the Brit-
- Two Administration officials, speak-
ish newspaper."-
' -Mg on the condition that they mot be- '!
-
~
'
shot
.
We know it was not
He added:
identified, said today that the Defense:;
down. It apparently crashed. It either',
Secretary's remarks were a mistake.
flew into the grand or it ran out of ; .. didn't mean to say that,
fuel." h w senior Pentagon official. "That was not.
Mr. Burch had no explanation for she, ` "said aC,
sectretary's remarks except that her, the fate of that missile." Another Ad--`i
was trying to press home the point that, }ministration official f ear wet inn
both nations have at least a rudimemf'
4 down. . not have snot ad eve con-'.'
tary ability to stop cruise missiles:.
? trortvanvwa esno : They were t town-_
may vex
Tall Section :Reported Found tro it al ' g. They
Finnish searchers reported today b own it up." - ---
that they had recovered the tail section,'
of the fallen Soviet missile in a frozen?.-
lake. -Pentagon officials said they had-
been informed by the Finnish Govern-~
ment that, as the Soviet Union had said-
the missile was an older generation,'
drone and was not armed with a war:
~
head. - ,.-_.: ...... 11 . .-: q.4
Secretary Weinberger made his cum
meets about the missile in response td';
a queltion from Senator Claibornet.'
Pell, Democrat of Rhode Island. ? '
Senator Pell, questioning the be,
-tense Secretary on the Administra, .
lion's- plan -for a defensive system.-
against: nuclear missiles, _ asked.'
whether such a system would not be:
-vulnerable to attacks from low-flying"'
cruise missiles. ?- 4
Mr: Weinberger replied that "there-
are other defenses against cruise mss..-,
siles which we are working on and
which the Soviets are working on."
He added: "Tae Soviets demon-,?
strated their defense against cruise`"
-missiles a couple of days ago when they"
shot down one of their errant missiles,,.
,that was on its way at least into Fin-'*
land."
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707060028-3