NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A027300010012-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 5, 2006
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: December 24, 1974
• Content Type: REPORT

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~` Top Secret
National 1 ntel l igenc~
Bulletin
State Dept. review
completed
DIA review(s) completed.
Top~Secret
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National Intelligence Bulletin
December 24, 1974
c";`ONTENTS
VENEZUELA: Reaction to passage of the US trade bill..
(Page 2)
FRANCE - WESTERN EUROPE: First flight of Mirage
Fl/M-53 fighters apparently successful, but program's
future may be in doubt. (Page 3)
ISRAEL: Construction of six additional Reshef-class
guided-missile boats planned. (Page 5)
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National Intelligence Bulletin December 24, 1974
The recently passed US grade bill has provoked
sharp reaction from government and party leaders. The
Venezuelans believe the legislation, which would deny US
.tariff preferences to members of cartels that raise
prices on vital commodities, is aimed specifically at
Venezuela-and other OPEC cour.-tries.
President Perez reportedly has urged "oil-producing
countries not to accept this discriminatory treatment,"
and party leaders across the political spectrum have
echoed these remarks in much stronger terms. Some have
threatened economic retaliation if trade preferences
are denied because of OPEC membership. Administration
officials are saying in conversations with US embassy
officers that the trade bill would facilitate trade
"with traditional enemies of the US," such as the USSR,
and that it "puts serious obstacles in the way of trade
with Venezuela and other friendly developing countries."
If the Venezuelans conclude that they are being
pressured by the US to reduce oil prices, they will
retaliate. This could mean either accelerated reduction
of oil production or denunciation of the terms of the
agreement of June 1972, which reaffirms the most-favored-
nation clause.
President Perez' New Year's Day address to the na-
tion may bring the official reaction to the trade bill
and an indication of how the administration intends to
handle the issue.
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National Intelligence Bulletin December 24, 1974
FRANCE - WESTERN EUROPE
The Mirage Fl/M-53, France's candidate to replac:e
the F-104 as the standard NATO fighter aircraft, madE~
its initial flight Sunday. Officials of Avions Marcel
Dassault, the plane's manufacturer-, announced that the
aircraft flew for one and a half hours and reached a
speed of about 870 miles an hour. The prototype aircraft
has essentially the same airframe as the F1 fighter,
which is already operational with the French air force,
but employs the new M-53 engine.
According to the French press, Paris has invited
the defense ministers of Holland, Denmark, Norway, and
Belgium to view the Mirage in early January. The French
apparently are anxious to show their fighter to the con-
sortium members, who appear to prefer a US aircraft, be-
fore the US air force announces its choice between the
YF-16 and YF-17 lightweic~ht~fighters late nex month,
Despite the apparently successful flight, the
fighter's future may be in doub t_
ecause France's next-generation
mu.tipurpose aircraft is also to be powered by the M-.53
engine, a decision by Paris not to manufacture the
Fl/M-53 could jeopardize the newer plane as well. Sen-
ior French aircraft industry officials believe the en-
gine will be too costly to produce only for the next-
generation fighter.
The operational Mirage Fl/M-53 would have a h_i~cher
_maximurn speed than either American lightweight fighter--
Mach 2,5 as compared to about Mach 2. The American -
fighter planes, however, are more maneuverable and can
accelerate and climb faster than tl:~e Mirage. Should
Paris decide to continue with the ]?1/M-53 fighter,
series production could begin by late 1976 or early
-3-
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Israeli-Built Guided-Missile Patrol Boat
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National Intelligence bulletin
ISRAEL
December 24, 1974
Israel plans to build six additional Reshef-class
guided-missile boats over the next few years. Construc-
tion of the boats is scheduled to begin at an Israeli
shipyard in April. The Israeli navy chief told the US
naval attache in Tel Aviv that he was able to obtain
funds for the additional boats only after a lengthy
debate among defense officials.
Israel already has build five Reshef-class boats,
four of which are operating from Sharm ash-Shaykh in the
Red Sea. One other now under construction will be com-
pleted soon. Israel also has 12 French-built Saar-class
guided-missile boats. The Reshef, the latest model in
the Saar series, has been designed to permit longer range
operations--some 3,500 nautical miles at cruising speed.
Both the Israeli- and the French-built boats can
carry as many as eight Gabriel anti--ship missiles. The
Israelis currently are producing one version of this
missile that has a range of 11 nautical miles; another
version, with twice this range, has been under develop-
ment for several years.
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