USE OF U.S. LAND-BASED AIR OVER JORDAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-448-5-13-5
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: November 21, 2011
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: September 21, 1970
• Content Type: MEMO

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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/08/07: LOC-HAK-448-5-13-5
September 21, 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR DR. KISSINGER
FROMI Richard Kennedy
SUBJECT: Use of U. S. Land-based Air over Jordan
At the WSAG meeting on Saturday, Admiral Moorer presented the results
of the study of the use of U.S. land-based air over Jordan. All agreed
that since the most likely additional capability which could be brought to
bear would be about 25% of existing daily sortie rate from the carriers
and thet the KENNEDY would add an additional 50% sooner than land-based
air could be employed (seven days base preparation time), we should
continue to rely on carrier-based Mr.
You asked that the facts be laid out in a memo to the President. A memo
for this purpose is at Tab A.
R ommeadations
That you forward the memo at Tab A to the President.
NSS, OSD, JCS
reviews completed.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/08/07: LOC-HAK-448-5-13-5
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/08/07: LOC-HAK-448-5-13-5
W
Top SECRET SENSITIVE/Er S ONLY
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM: Henry A. Kissinger
SUBJECT: Use of U.S. Labil-based Air Over Jordan
The Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed our options for the use of U.S.
land-based air over Jordan as a show-of-force, to provide tactical air
support for Jordanian forces, or to cover evacuation or resupply operations.
The critical factors in employing land-based air in this situation would be
the availability of basing, staging and overflight rights and the availability
at operating bases of fuel, arnm.unition and support for the operational
aircraft.
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AU possible bases in the area were examined and five were
selected as acceptable for contingency operations ? two in
Turkey, and one each in Cyprus. Greece and Crete.
The bases in Turkey (Incirlik and Ci li) would be the most
advantsgeous. Fuel, ammunition and other support for 1-4
aircraft are available and in the case of Incirlik, where 19
1-411 currently are in position, target areas could be reached
without sir-to-Mr refueling enroute. But there is little chance
that Turkey would permit our launchiag operations over Jordan
from its territory.
The bases in Crete and Greece lack some of the required
munitions, fuel and support equipment and operations from
them would require air-to-air refueling enroute. To bring
necessary supplies and equipment in by air would require
about seven days before operations could begin. There is
serious doubt that we could get political clearance for the
use of these bases for operations over Jordan.
Operations from the Cyprus base would not require air-to-
air refueling but supplies and equipment would have to be
moved in before operations could begin sedan this would
TOPERT SENSITIVE EYESONLY
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/08/07: LOC-HAK-448-5-13-5
"v, AN21.22. 1121 Fri 21122.22.0?..2 ter Mire r tr. 'trill% 12 'Wit
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/08/07: LOC-HAK-448-5-13-5
take about seven days There is some possibility that we could
get agreement to use the base from the Cypriot Government. The
U.K. could give us permission unilaterally, but probably would
prefer to have Cypriot agreement.
Only one base - Cyprus - seems a real possibility. This would permit us to
conduct about 50 tactical air sorties daily over Jordan, or a ZS percent increase
over the approximstely 200 sorties we can operate from the carriers
INDEPENDENCE and SARATOGA now on-station in the Eastern Mediterranean.
10 ?
Operations could not commence, however, for about seven days.
U 200 sortie. daily for seven deys hsve not turned the tide, the
addition of 50 more sorties alone would be unlikely to provide
the measure of additional response needed to weight the balance
in HUSIlleints favor.
The carrier KENNEDY is enroute to the Mediterranean now and will pass
through Gibraltar on September 25th. Its aircraft can add 100 sorties daily
to our capability.
Given the seven day make-ready period for the Cyprus base,
by September 21st, the KENNEDY will give us the capability
to increase the sortiesrate by 50% at an earlier date than we
could produce * 25 percent increase using land-based air.
In view of the foregoing, the WSAG believes we should not plan on tieing land-
based air for intervention in Jordan.
I recommend that we rely upon carrier-based air for our planning, including
the added capability which the carrier KENNEDY will provide.
TOP SECRET/SENSZTWE/EYES ONLY
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/08/07: LOC-HAK-448-5-13-5