NIKE PLAN CALLED STEP TO FULL NET

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300100107-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 12, 2006
• Sequence Number: 107
• Publication Date: September 17, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2006/01/30 : CIA-RDP70B00338R000300100107-6
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STEP TO FULL NET
Senators Foresee $7-Billion
to $15-Billion System -
By JOHN D. MORRIS
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 The Administration's decision
to deploy a limited missile de-
fense around the country was
viewed in Congress today as
the first step toward establish-
ment of a full-scale system that
would cost $7-billion to $15-
billion.
But Administration sources
characterized such interperta-
tions as erroneous. They said
it would be emphasized, when
the decision was officially an-
nounced, that a massive missile
defense was still regarded as
The decision drew a mixture
of praise and condemnation,
but indications were that the
predominant Congressional sen-
timent was favorable.
Senator nhn Ci e,
Democrat o o e Is an , -who
is' chairman of the Congres-
sional Joint Atomic Energy:
Committee, called the planned:
defense "a starter toward an
over-all effective antiballistic
system." He said it was neces-
sary, even though expensive.
- Senator T. W. Fu t,
Democrat of Arkansas, w o is
chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, expressed
"deep regret," over the decision.
"Once this is started," he
said, "there will be no stopping
it, and its cost wil be astro-
nomical, comparable to the
space program. I also have
very grave doubts about its ef-
fectiveness."
He said he had hoped the
Administration would allow
more time for negotiations with;
the Soviet Union on the mutual
limitation of missile defenses.
Amplification Sought
Senator -i rr T c
Democrat o as ing ton, said
he would seek amplification of
Administration policy at hear-
ings late this month or early
in October by the Joint Atomic
Energy Subcommittee on Mili-
t'ar'y 1Ca on. He is chair-
man aheL
,senator s`Pas re and Jackson 1f1e system would employ
are among a number of influ- long-range radar constantly
entiagislatoiwho have been scanning for incoming missiles
pressing The A ministration to thousands of miles away., As
move ahead promptly and set l the invading missilesapproaehed
the nu-
il
s
b
t 400
i
up missile defenses.
Others include Senator Rich-
ard B. Russell, Democrat of
Georgia, chairman of the Sen-
ate Armed Services Committee,
and Senator John Stennis, Dem-
ocrat of Mississipi, chairman of
e ness su co__;++..
th P d b
a
,
e
ou
n a
m
with
clear warheads of Spartan mis-
siles would be exploded in their
path to destroy as many as pos-
sible.
If some penetrated the Spar-
tan. area-defense screen, faster
r
e rep
. would be fired skyward within
Spokesmen, for the Republican
party have also taken a strong 50 miles or less of the defended
stand in favor of an antimissile area.
system. Under, the limited, Chinese-
In a. speech a week ago, Sen-i oriented ' defense, long-range
a tor Pastore served notice on+ Spartans would be spaced
the ; Administration that his around the country to afford
Joint Atomic Energy Commit- wide protection against a low-
tee would fight for such a sys- order threat. Sprints would be
tem. placed near Minuteman silos
Today, in a telephone inter- for additional so-called terminal
view, he predicted that the so- defense.
called "thin line" of Nike-X de- The projected limited, or
fenses now planned would lead thin-line, defense system woudr'
to the establishment of an over- cost $3-billion to $5-billion an('
all-system, effective "not only take three to five years to com
against China but against Rus- plete.
It was not yet known whethr~
sia as well."
`Matter of Survival'
"This, to me, is a matter of
survival and not the trigger to,
constitute an arms race," he
added. "I would hope Ave could
have avoided this with a dis-
armament treaty that is reason-
able, but that is a long ways
off."
The defensive net to be es-
tablished under a recent but
still unannounced Administra-
tion decision would be designed
to thwart a relatively small
number of intercontinental bal-
listic missiles, such as the
Chinese Communists are ex-
pected to have in operation in
1971 or 1972.
It would also afford some
protection against an accidental
or unauthorized launching of a
few' missiles from the Soviet
Union.
The Administration decision,
disclosed yesterday by reliable
sources, is expected to be an-
nounced Monday by Robert S.
McNamara, Secretary of De-
fense, in a speech before a
group of United Press Interna-
tional editors in San Francisco.
Full-scale development and
deployment of the Nike-X Sys-
tem has been urged by military
leaders for at least six years.
But successive Defense Secre-
taries, including Neil Ii. McEl-
roy, Thomas -S. 'Gates and Mr.
McNamara, have resisted the
program because of its cost.
?ru-
the deployment finally agree
upon would, in addition to prf
viding an area defensive shier
around the United States, als
call for heavier efens_es. arouny
Minuteman miss le base`;.
Approved For Release 2006/01/30 : CIA-RDP70B00338R000300100107-6