ANALYTICAL SUMMARY: POSSIBLE INTERNATIONAL RESTRAINTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL WARFARE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-454-2-3-2
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: February 2, 2011
• Sequence Number: 3
• Content Type: REPORT

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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/02/02: LOC-HAK-454-2-3-2
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Analytical Summary
POSSIBLE INTERNATIONAL RESTRAINTS
ON ENVIRONMENTAL WARFARE
The immediate question is whether to give favorable consideration to
General Secretary Brezhnev's suggestion in Malxh that the summit com-
munique include agreement to enter into discussions regarding possible
restraints on using environmental modification techniques as weapons of war.
To facilitate the near-term decision, this paper examines the advantages
and disadvantages of no restraints on "environmental warfare, 11 and two
different levels of restraints which could be the bases for international
discussions.
As discussed below, the concept of environmental warfare could cover
modification of the weather, climate, ocean, terrestrial, and the ionosphere
for military purposes.
US Policy
NSU 165 (May 1970 established guidelines for certain international aspects
of US civil weather modification activities; deferred decision on military
applications; and directed that no climate modification activities be under-
taken without specific Presidential approval. The Administration stated
subsequently that it would not use climate modification techniques for
hostile purposes should they come to be developed.
Under civilian authorization, military rain augmentation experiments and
operations were carried out in Southeast Asia from 1966 to 1972. These
represent our only significant operational experience in the military use
of weather modification under combat conditions.
Military Programs and Considerations
Weather Modification. The range of conceivable weather modification
Such announcement could, if desired, be coupled with a proposal to e:?:p1u re
international cooperation in beneficial modification techniques and/or to
explore with other countries the need for international guidelines for civil
environmental modification activities having cross-border effects.
OSD and JCS reviews
completed
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activities includes forming, stabilizing, or dissipating fog and low clouds;
increasing or decreasing precipitation; moderating, intensifying and
steering of severe storms such as hurricanes and typhoons; and suppressing
or augmenting lightning and hail.
Only dissipation of certain types of fogs and some modification of the type
and amount of precipitation can be considered operational or near operational
today. Positive but unsubstantiated assessments best describe efforts in
hurricane moderation and hail and lightning, suppression. The possibility
of intensifying or steering storms is mostly a theoretical possibility only.
DOD currently has only two operational weather modification programs,
both dealing with fog dissipation. DOD's R&D programs are relatively
small and are designed primarily for (1) protecting personnel and resources
against natural hazards to improve operational capabilities and (2) guarding
against technological surprise.
Possible militarily useful applications include:
- Rain enhancement could be used to wash out tactical bridging equipment,
disrupt airborne operations, channelize or block enemy attack or logistic
routes, or shield friendly activities.
.'
fog or low l_ulation or e ta,!%;,-i
In li:niF,... ed circumstances, g o_ - cloud sti b i l: r. 1,-
might be useful; and fog dissipation could be used to facilitate launching
of air strikes or to clear target areas.
Hurricane or typhoon intensification or steering, if ever feasible, might
be used for inflicting damage, denying areas for a limited time, or
avoiding storm damage.
However, militarily useful weather modification would require the conjunction
in place and time of a tactical opportunity to be gained by using modification
techniques, suitable meteorological conditions, and an operational capability
in place. While a deployed operational capability could be made available
with necessary investment, training, and doctrine, the coincidence of the
other two factors---suitable natural meteorological conditions and tactical
The rain augmentation activities in Southeast Asia were designed to nt;Ll,c
North Vietnamese infiltration more difficult 13jr increasing rainfall in selected
areas to soften road surfaces, cause landslides, and wash out river These event;; normally occur during the hck,,,ht of the rainy season. Sk?c?clint,
was intended to extend the period of occtirt?rnc?c:; tt.nd to supplement tl,o
rainfall. \Vbile thi:; program app;ii-enl:ly it:,-(l ,,n effect: on the primiiiv,-
conditions in these areas, the results were re.rtainly limited and
t No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/02/02: LOC-HAK-454-2-3-2
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/02/02 : LOC-HAK-454-2-3-2
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3pportunity_would be fortuitous. For this reason, ason, weather modification
would be essentially a