RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR AN NIE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP00B00369R000100060044-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 44
• Publication Date: May 30, 1979
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/13: CIA-RDP00B00369R000100060044-9
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National Intelligence Officers
SP - 96/79
30 May 1979
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA: Director, National Foreign Assessment Center
FROM: National Intelligence Officer for Strategic Programs
SUBJECT: Response to Request for an NIE (U)
1. Action Requested: Your approval and signature to the attached letter. (U)
2. Background: As the attached correspondence indicates, we have received
a well-thought-out request for an NIE on long-term prospects for Soviet military
R&D from Bill Perry, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
We should respond favorably to this legitimate request for assistance. CIA's
Office of Scientific Intelligence and other intelligence agencies are already
contributing extensively but piecemeal to forward thinking by Perry and his
people with respect to long-term future challenges and opportunities for the
US posed by Soviet military-related technology. This request will require them
to organize this piecemeal work into a coherent whole. The community will have
to move out smartly, however, to have a draft by November. (S)
3. In past projects of this sort (i.e., projects where there is a central
core of technical expertise but other factors such as military requirements
and intentions must be brought to bear), we have employed the technique of using
an intelligence community working group to prepare the draft paper. OSI's
as that it is willing to manage such a
Military Techp~ icinn inair -1-my My
working group the division chief, who has done considerable 25X1
work with Per e or, viet technological prospects, will maintain
personal cognizance over the project. He has assigned one of 25X1
his senior experts, to chair the proposed working group. (S)
4. Recommendation: That you sign the attached letter to Bill Perry
accepting the task and-authorize us to request the intelligence community to
participate in this project via the recommended working g up. (S)
aWLt1~,~,
Howard Stoertz, Jr.
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/13: CIA-RDP00B00369R000100060044-9
ZOMA I.
SP - 96/79
SUBJECT: Response to Request for an NIE (U)
Distribution:
DCI
DDC I
D/NFAC
ER
NIO/SP
D/OSR
D/OWI
D/OSI
ES/NfACM
NFAC Registry
NIO/SP:HStoertz:l I(30May79)
SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/13: CIA-RDP00B00369R000100060044-9
 r- 0% *% r-9-
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/13: CIA-RDPOOB00369R000100060044-9
The Director of Central Intclligcncc
Dear Bill,
It has been almost seven years since an NIE on Soviet Military
Research and Development was prepared. Your request of 7 May is a
timely reminder that we should once again address the status of
Soviet R&D and technology and its implications for future Soviet
military capabilities.
I have asked the National Intelligence Officer for Strategic
Programs, Howard Stoertz, to direct the preparation of a new NIE on
this subject, responsive to the outline of concerns you transmitted.
To insure that the estimate represents a community-wide effort, he
plans to activate a working group of representatives of the major
intelligence components with expertise in this area. The working
group will be under the day-to-day management of CIA's Office of
Scientific Intelligence, whose experts are already working closely
with your office on related matters.
Howie and the people working with him will be in touch with
Paul Berenson as they proceed on the project.
Yours ,
S
The Honorable William J. Perry
Under Secretary of Defense
for Research and Engineering
Washington, D.C. 20301
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/13: CIA-RDPOOB00369R000100060044-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/13: CIA-RDP00B00369R000100060044-9
SECRE~,
SP - 97/79
LETTER: Response to Request for an NIE (U)
- W.J. Perry, USDRE
- DCI
- DDCI
- D/NFAC
- ER
- NIO/SP
- D/OSR
- D/OWI
- D/OSI
- ES/NFAC/PB
- NFAC Registry
NIO/SP:HStoertzl I(30May79)
SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/13: CIA-RDP00B00369R000100060044-9