DESPITE EARLIER AMERICAN COMPLAINTS, SOVIET ENCODED MISSILE TEST SIGNALS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400380008-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2004
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: May 30, 1979
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2005/01/12: CIA-RDP88-01315R000400380009-2
THE WASHINGTON POST
Article, appeared 30 May 1979
on page A--l4
By Robert G. Kaiser question-which White House officials earth's atmosphere after its fii;ht
',tashin:tonPo;t Stuff writer declined to answer -- a Senate aide throtich space.
Despite earlier American complaints critical of SALT II called a reporter This concerned the T.r.S. SALT II
about the practice, the Soviet Union to say there was a good story behind negotiators. and led-to prolong
ert rrn
last month again encoded radio signals -Lofton's query. Later the same aide russions with the Soviet side. Finally,
from a test flight-of one-"os its SS18 volunteered some details. last month, The Soviets accepted the
intercontinental missiles in an ap -. Subsequently George Will, a coltimn? American position that encoding these
parent attempt to deny intelligence- ist who has written critically of SALT, radio messages would be 'prohibited
information to the United.States.
News of this incident of what the.
experts call "encryption of telemetry"
was leaked. in Washington by persons -
referred to the test in a question he under SALT -II if..the -messages in
asked on "1MIeet the Press." question relate to a ,new or modified
According to. senior administration ballistic missile.. .
officials, ',he incident.. occurred in Those who first publicly revealed
SS18 tests. Different senior officials S918 test .suggested that the Soviets I
tation treaty (SALT) with the Soviet?'' remembered the number differently. were flouting whatever new agree-
Union.. one such source said the in-' ".`: The test or tests- were repeats of ment had been reached.. The Senate
cident.was a serious. example of Soviet, similar Soviet experiments. last July aide critical of SALT who suggested
deceit and American weakness in deal- 29 and Dec. 21, the sources said.. pursuing the story, said the Russians.
frig with the Russians., All these tests involved a .warhead had once again taken advantage of
Carter administration'officials said for the SS18, the Soviets' biggest mod- an American government overeager to
they also perceived a serious example, ern missile that carries just one large patch together a SALT. agreement.
but they called it an example of "ir? thermonuclear weapon. "The Soviets The-administration disagreed sharp.
responsible leaking." Last. month's have been having trouble with that ly..It was said. on a high :live.l that
incident was. not related to a new warhead," one source' said. the recent SS13 test.came before the
agreement with, the Soviets-to send " Until last July the Soviets had left two sides had.reached an agreement
uncoded radio" messages from rocket' the' complex stream 'of information on the encoding. issue; Moreover, the
tests-that is relevant to. verification radioed back to earth from its rocket United States didn't care whether the
of the SALT agreements,-the officials -'tests uncoded, and U.S. intelligence- test data of an old system like this
insisted. could pick it tip with relative ease. . SS18 was encoded "for the next 10
The first account- of the incident tq In 'a test flight more than 1,000 chan- years," as one official put it.
surface publicly came from John Lof- nels. of radio: information are sent The important question.. officials
ton, a conservative journalist,. who back to earth, reporting on the func- said. was encoding-. telemetry from
asked 'a question: at a .-White House- tioningof every aspect of the rocket tests of new or :modified missiles,
briefing, about a recent SS18 test in and warhead during its flight.. since SALT Il.includes..restraints on
which, he said,:- 29 of .31 radio char- In. these three SS18? test episodes, the intr oduction:,of- modifications or
nets sending information on the test however,..the Soviets put into code all new systems.. U.S,..eavesdropping deg
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on coming. from the re-
by the Soviets...,,.:, .:. .f; entry vehicle-,, which, carries a rocket
Several hours after Lofton asked his :yvarhead., or,, warheads. back into- the
vices and spy satellites-can identify a
familiar test of an.oldsystem even if
'some telemetry is. encoded,. the off!-
cials said,. ~s .fir
"The Russians; accept:;our positions
on new : and .modified, missiles," one
official said. "That's what matters."
The-skeptical Senate aide disagreed,
and also suggested that the-April in-
cident was more significant than por-
trayed by the administration.. The Sen-
ate. aide- questioned whether the
United-.States can-be:'sure a test in-
volved an old-missile' system if some
of the tell-tale information on the test
was hidden in a code:
Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA-RDP88-01315R00040038.0008-2