CARTER GETS MORE FLAK ON 'STEALTH'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92B00478R000800340033-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 23, 2013
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: September 11, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/12/23: CIA-RDP92B00478R000800340033-1
ON FACE 4 '"q14... 11 Seltember 1980
CHRISTLi.N HONITOR
Carter gets more flak on Stealth'? .
. Washington
A battery of top former Ford administration defense and intelligence
experts has fired new sahros against the Carter administration's alleged
political disclosure of the top-secret "Stealth" aircraft program, Monitor
correspondent John Cooley reports. ?
- Retired Adm. Elmo Zumwalt, in a letter sent to another retired admiral,
charged that President Carter had personally approved the leak of infor-
mation on the radar-resistant plane project. Sen. Richard Lugar (R) of In-
diana released Admiral Zumwalt's charge that the leak was "unbelievably
harmful to the national security" because it gave the Russians a "five-
year head start" in countermeasures.
Earlier, President Carter toid newsmen in New Jersey that the charge,
by Ronald Reagan supporters, was "absolutely irresponsible and false"
and that only the existence ? no detags ? of Stealth had been revealed.
In a separate news conference here after release of the Zumwalt let-
ter, three top defense and intelligence aides of the Ford administration,
all listed as advisers of Governor Reagan, charged that the administration
disclosures had done "real damage" to US security.
Ret Wed Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcrott, former President Ford's national se-
curity assistant; Dr. Ray Cline, a former CIA officer and State Depart-
ment intelligence and research director; and Dr. John Lehman, deputy
director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency under Mr. Ford,
all said the top-level White House and Pentagon confirmation of Stealth's"
importance had undoubtedly helped Soviet intelligence agencies, despite
earlier publication of details.
Defense Secretary Harold Brown's announcement that Stealth was of -
"highest importance," and that "Indeed it changed the strategic bal-
ance," ensured that "if [Soviet President] Brezhnev didn't know this im-
portance, he knows it now," General Scowcroft said.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/12/23 : CIA-RDP92600478R000800340033-1