CALLS FOR U.S. COUNTER-WEAPON INTENSIFY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300110025-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2006
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: November 5, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

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Approved For Release 2006/01/30 : CIA-RDP70B00338R000300110025-6
I
Cals for U.S5touuitei-1eapoii
By George C. Wilson
Washington Post, Staff Writer
The Soviets' new orbital
rocket corfronts the United
States with a whole new set
of military problems be-
eause it could be the first
weapon to take the high
ground of outer space.
U.S. experts pointed out
yesterday that the Fraction-
al Orbital Bombardment
System. (FOBS) the Soviets
are `testing need got pass
Pentagon cost-effectiveness
tests to fulfill its mission. It
is not supposed to be a bet-
ter ICBM, but a terror weap-
on.
The psychological impact
of a hydrogen bomb whirl-
ing over the United States
with the release button in
the Kremlin cannot be ig-
nored by the Johnson Ad-
ministration.
And. as the axl,i-ball.istic-
missile debate showed, law-
makers. are likely to insist
that the Defense Depart-
ment come 'un with some
counter weapon.
McNamara's Argument
The argument, by Secre-
tary of Defense Robert S.
McNamara that the United
States is already "naked
against a massive ICBM at-
tack, so why worry about.
FOBS, ignores the fact that
many lawmakers regard the
anti-Chinese ABM as the
first step tpward a Soviet
one.
Early Congressional reac-
tion to FOB already shows
that the UI 'ted States must ,
find a way to reach the
same high ground taken by
the Soviets.
Sen. Henry M. Jackson
(D-Wash.), for cxample,`said
in an interview yesterday
that the Russian orbital
rocket "has opened up, a
whole new dimension of
problems."
He said the United States,
as a starter, would have to
speed development of - anti-
satellite weapons and build
a lot more detection radar.
He opens public hearings
Monday to explore these
questions with Administra-
tion witnesses.
Paul H. Nitze, newly
named Deputy Secretary of
Defense, and John S. Foster
Jr., Pentagon research chief,
are slated to lead off before
Jackson's Military applica-
tions Subcommittee of the
Joint Atomic Energy Com-
mittee.
Republicans in Congress
are already making an issue
out of McNamara's state-
ment that "I'm not con-
cerned" about FOBS. Rep.
William L. Dickinson (R,
Ala.) said in a telegram to
President Johnson yesterday
that McNamara should be
fired for such unconcern.
Congressional critics are
expected to press Pentagon
witnesses for details on
what working hardware the
United States has against
the FOBS.
McNamara-in confirming
Friday that the Soviets have
been testing orbital rockets
-said that
States had a new detection
radar: But officials admit it
is limited. Over-the-horizon
radar has been under devel-
opment for years. But the
type that really gives mean-
ingful information about So-
viet launches hidden from
existing radar and spy satel-
lites has only begun to oper-
ate.
Satellite Interception
Also, the U.S. has no fool-
proof system for intercept-
ing and inspecting a for-
eign satellite to see if a
bomb is inside. And weap-
ons in hand for knocking a
hostile satellite down also
have limited effectiveness.
Gen. Earle G. Wheeler,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, in testifying before
the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee this spring
on the treaty to ban weap-
ons in outer space said the
chiefs "remain concerned
about the assured verifica-
tion capability with regards
to weapons in orbit. The de-
ployment of prohibited orbit-
al vehicles could have seri-
ous implications, especially
if it enabled an effective
enemy surprise attack
against our command and
control facilities and mili-
tary forces.
"Weapons in orbit," Wheel-
er continued, "could become
a matter of grave conse-
quence, particularly when
utilized in conjunction with
other strategic systems.. .
,s.x C.at can be answered
ntensify
only through intensified
U.S. effort to develop capa-
bilities to detect and verify
the orbiting of nuclear
weapons or those threaten-
ing mass destruction.
At the same hearings for-
mer Deputy Secretary of De-
fense Cyrus R. Vance and
Wheeler agreed that "one or
two or some very small
number of weapons" could
"be clandestinely orbited
without being identified."
But "to be militarily sib
nificant," said Vance, "a
large number of weapons
would have to be deployed,
and this would certainly' be
detected."
MIRV-multiple, inde-
pendently targetable re-en-
try vehicles-is one of the
"strategic systems" which
conceivably could be used
with the Soviet orbiting
rocket.
Several Little Bombs
MIRY is the technique of
dividing a big bomb into
several little ones and then
sending each of them to a
different target. Some
military leaders fear the So-
viets,might put a MIRY war-
head on their 'orbital rocket
Jackson said using MIRY
with FOBS would make
bombs "come down like
Roman candles." Even with.
out MIRY, he' argued, FOBS
"represents a qualitative
jump in their strategic
weapons capability." The
United States, he said, needs
"more and improved de-
fenses" against FOBS.
It appears certain that by.
testing an orbital weapons
system the Russians have
undercut McNamara's effort
to hold back the arms race.
The tests come at a time
when he seemed to be mak-
ing progress in convincing
the American public and
U.S. allies of the folly of
building a bigger mountain
CIA-RDP70B00338R0003010126weapons or a
t fc missile defense.
Approved For Release 2006/01/30 :