87. Editorial Note
On September 19, Executive Secretary Lay transmitted to all holders of NSC 5611, “Status of National Security Programs on June 30, 1956,” Part 1 (minus Annex A) of NSC 5611, dated September 15, entitled “Department of Defense Report to National Security Council on Status of United States Military Programs as of 30 June 1956.” This document consisted of the following: The basic report on the military program; Annex A, the Statistical Data Supplement, which was available for reference only in the office of the Executive Secretary of the NSC; Annex B, the Report on the Status of Implementation of the Technological Capabilities Panel Recommendations; Annex C, the Report on the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile and Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Programs; and Annex D, the Report on the Continental U.S. Defense Programs. Lay also noted that Annexes B, C, and D were of a high security sensitivity and should be handled with special security precautions and limited in circulation on a strict need-to-know basis. Part 1 was classified Top Secret, Restricted Data, per the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. A copy of Part 1, without Annex A, is in Department of State, S/S–RD Files: Lot 71 D 171, Box 376.
On September 24, Lay sent a memorandum to all holders of NSC 5611 transmitting, inter alia, Part 2 of that document. Part 2 consisted of a report by the Department of Defense, dated September 15, on the status of military assistance programs, and a report by ICA, dated September 17, on defense-supporting and other non-military aid programs. A copy of Part 2 is Ibid., S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 5611 Series.
On October 4, the National Security Council discussed Part 1 of NSC 5611; see Document 92.