LETTER TO THE HONORABLE HAROLD BROWN FROM STANSFIELD TURNER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A001800120007-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2004
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: September 14, 1977
• Content Type: LETTER

The Director
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I4 September 1977
You wrote to me an 17 August requesting CIA
participation in a net assessment of Soviet and
US command and control communications. I have re-
viewed the resources which could be applied to your
study, together with the competing demands on these
resources, and I regret to say that they are already
overextended and unable to absorb further tasks at
this time.
We have already committed our small C3 analytical
group--staffed by only five analysts--to a number of
major projects including several upcoming national
intelligence estimates in which command and control
is an important consideration. This group is also
deeply involved in studies related to indications
and warning, military readiness, and exercise analysis.
I recognize the importance of your C3 net assess-
meat and, if this were an area in which analytical
resources could be shifted or expanded easily, we
would be eager to take part. The C3 discipline, however,
i.s so specialized and complex that new analysts. require
a long "working up " period. It is also an area in
which we must be particularly careful to pre-serve a
.strong research base and keep it from being totally
caught up in supporting other work.
We plan a substantial augmentation of our C3
analytical resources in coming months, anal I hope
that a year from now we wi11 be in a much better
position to meet the burgeoning requirements in this
area.
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The Honorable Harold Brawn
The Secretary of Defense
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SUBJECT: Lettex to Harold 13xown xe CTA paxticipation
in net assessment o:~ Soviet and US command
and control carmuunications .
~ SEP 1917
De~uty~ Director iox Tntelligence Date
D~,stxa,bution:
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Addxessee
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QSR (31 August 1977)
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 OFFICE OF THE OIRECT(13~=0~~~
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Date: g Sept. 1977
T0: The Director
FROM:
SUBJECT: Proposed Rejection of SecIDef Request
REMARKS:
On 17 Aug. SecDef ~ Brown wrote to cite
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on a DoD C study to which CIA made "essential
contributions. He asked for similar support
for an update on this report, and for annual
reporting in the future.
OSR pleads that it does not have sufficient peopl
to d
o even the national Intelligence job, that it
can't spare the necessary manpower to do this
extra work. It took a 9-man-month effort last
time, and on an annual basis would take aman-
year per year effort. In short, according to
OSR, requirements overreach present assets.
If you agree with this position, you will want
to judge the tone of the proposed turndown
letter to SecDef. Do you want to, at least call
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TI-IE SECRETARY OF DErENSE
Wl~SHINGTON. D. C. 20301
17 August 1977
Admiral Stansfield Turner
Director of Central Intelligence
Washington, D. C. 20505
Dear Stan,
In its report an the 1878 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill,
the House Committee on Appropriations (IiAC) commended the Department
of Defense for the quality of the Command, Control and Communications
Net Assessment. The Central Intelligence Agency made essential con-
tributions to the final report. Tree HAC report also directed that an
updated net assessment be provided to the committee on January 15, 1978,
and that it be updated every January thereafter. I would appreciate
your arranging for CIA to revise that portion of the report within
its cognizance to reflect any new information.
To meet the NAC schedule, a final draft should be available for co-
ordination by late November 1977. Preliminary drafts will be circulated
among a working group as they are produced. Looking ahead to the
January 1979 submission, we should begin the longer term work that
will result in a mare comprehensive assessment at that time.
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Communications, Command, Control
and Intelligence will be responsible for producing the reports. Please
name a point of contact to participate in. the working group.
Sincerely,
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31 August 1977
MDMORANDUM DOR: Deputy Director fox Intelligence
SUBJHCT Reply to Request from the Secretary
of Defense, and Resource Limitations
in Command and Control and Related
pields
1. The Secretary of Defense, in a letter to the
DCI, requested CIA assistance in a DoD net assessment
of Soviet and US command and control communications.
My recommendation (a response from the DCI is attached)
i,s that the DCI decline to participate in the study,
which has a target completion date of November 1977.
My reason for this negative recommendation is essen-
t~.ally one of resources and priorities: given a low
and fixed (at least over the. short term} a.maunt of
resources, I believe priorities dictate that they be
applied exclusively to national intelligence production.
The remainder of this memorandum provides--far your
consideration both of the DCI's response to Secretary
Drown and of the more general issue of command and
control analysis in national intelligence--my assessment
of the resources-priorities picture in this field.
2. Growing emphasis in national intelligence on
qucstia~s of command and control led to a serious imbal-
ance between our available analysis resources in this
area and current tasking. Difficult decisions will
have to be made regarding which tasks to accept and
?which to decline:
3. The analytic responsibility in CIA devolves
pximar~.ly on OSR. Within O5R, these subject areas axe
treated by a-unit at the branch level of the Strategic
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NlARi~lIfJG iVOTICt
SENSfTiVE INTELLIGtI~1CE SUURCES ~~~~~ ~~
AfdD METIiUU5 INVULVED
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evaluation Center consa,sting a:~ only dive analysts.
This group is xesponsi;ble for collection support, data
base rnaintenancc, tasking, xeseaxch, and production,
including support to national intelligence publications,
in the areas of Soviet and Warsaw Fact command and con-
trol, communications , 111d1Cat10I1S and waxniilg, integrated
aspects of military readiness, and strategic and theater
military exercise analysis. The subject areas treated
by this group can be brakes down as follows:
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S. As can be seen, requirements greatly overreach
our present analysis assets. We axe already four analysts
short of what would be required to provide adequate
support to NIEs and the OSR research prograan alone. It
will, therefore, be necessary to, decline to support a
number of important and useful activities currently and
in tlic coming years .
S. :-G AYBL L
Director
Strategic Research
Attachment:
Letter to Harold Brawn
~xom Admiral Turner
Orig. ~
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-- Addressee (w/a
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-- SEC/CCG
OSR: (31 August 1977)
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