RESPONSE TO SOVIET MIRV CLAIM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-545-19-2-4
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: June 15, 2011
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 26, 1974
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/06/15: LOC-HAK-545-19-2-4 ~" V I.
Completely Outside the System
hMEMORANDUM
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/CODE WORD
MEMORANDUM FOR GENERAL SCOWCROFT
TER ZIMMERMAN
SUBJECT: Response to Soviet MIRV Claim
March 26, 1974
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
Based on the information you provided Ben Huberman I sent off the
attached cable to Jan Lodal late last night (Tab A).
As I indicated to you on the phone, I can come. up with only one possible
explanation for the Soviet claim that they have three MIRVs on their
missiles. As you know, the Soviets have never distinguished between
MRV and MIRV systems in their proposals. The same Soviet expression
RGCIH (roughly "separating warhead") is used for both MRV and MIRVs.
Moreover, they are currently engaged in extensive deployment of an
existing MRV system with three warheads - the SS-11 Mod 3. I can
only conclude that Brezhnev may somehow have been focused on this
ongoing Soviet deployment program rather than their new MIRV ICBMs
which are still in flight test.
On the other hand as the cable says, the probability that all of the new
MIRV ICBMs have only three RVs is estimated by CIA to be essentially
zero. Thus the Soviet claim can only be the result of either honest
confusion on the part of Brezhnev or an incredibly blatant Soviet attempt
at deception that cannot possibly succeed.
As you can well imagine, we would have gone off on a wild goose chase
without your helpful excerpt from the reporting cable.
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/CODE WORD
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/06/15: LOC-HAK-545-19-2-4
 o Declassification in Part 2011/06/15 : LOC-HAK 545-19-2-4
; ~ ** 1 O~ P S E C R
MAR ,74
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B`J K.C T
PATCH
JAN , M. L;N AL (K r S4.NGER PARTY)
PETE '1i`MMERMAN
VOUR? INQUIRY ON SOVIET YARVS
PRO?4 OUR PH7NE'J)YSCtfSSIf;H At4n cUBSEQI,IENT DISCUSSIONS
~'Nt"NG~,.OURSELVE;S I .TAKE YOU+~ QUESTION TO BE FSSENTIALLY,
{SHAT IS YHELIKFLIHOf,,10' THnT NEW SOVIET ICRMS HAVE
G.H#,'Y. N~R'E MiIRVS U QL0TE. f t "R A ?SwERs OISCUS$ IN MWIItE
` I b t T Rt B LIfiY IS' NE; .w ZFR -T.
1?l1 -INFORMAT'I'ON .SHOWS t.!-4AT THE THREE Nf= I C+3MS { SS
X-170
: 004"T*v VEhfr:GI. .S. THE:3 ST INFORMATION AVAIL.A9LE. ON THE
N' BE D ttF,.M'IRVS IS ON THE SS-X-1'9.. (NOTE: T'',E TWO MRV IC'iMS.'
ft1?1LY ,DEPLOYED ? SS-9limO(1 4 AND SSw11 M~;O 3.- H V
Al.
S.COWCR OcT,'MCFARLANE,Rf:r A 4 SEC" C
'RECALLEI?
f~SN tO4 7 R G (1 TQRt085/ :03Z TG fi'S .MAC 4"
* +~+ + 0 P S E C R F T 4*** *S ,C;~PY
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/06/15 : LOC-HAK-545-19-2-4
 25X1
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/06/15: LOC-HAK-545-19-2-4
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