Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Eastern Europe; Finland; Greece; Turkey, Volume X, Part 2

331. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

Washington, February 6, 1959.

SUBJECT

• Deployment of IRBM’s to Greece and Turkey

PARTICIPANTS

• Defense—Mr. Quarles, Mr. Holaday, Mr. Knight, Mr. Shuff, Brig. Gen. Whisenand, Brig. Gen. Martin, Col. Colsen, Col. Billingslea
• State—Mr. Murphy, Mr. Rountree, Mr. Mathews, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Magill, Mr. Porter

Mr. Murphy said that the Department had been considering this question urgently from both a political and a funding point of view. We had made progress in clarifying the political considerations and expected to be able to reach a political decision shortly after the Secretary returned from Europe. If a favorable political decision were reached, the question of moving ahead would then turn on the possibilities for MSP funding of the deployment. Meanwhile, we wished to share with Defense some of the political factors involved and to obtain some information from Defense bearing on certain of these factors.

Mr. Rountree said that there were, of course, both favorable and negative factors to be taken into account, and that we were in the process of evaluating these. He enumerated a number of considerations being given particular attention. He said that while his listing of these factors might imply his feeling that the disadvantages were more apparent than the advantages, no such conclusion had been reached. In. fact, we were aware of strong political arguments favoring the proposal.

Mr. Quarles emphasized the military importance of IRBM’s and said he believed we should remind ourselves of the State presentation at a NSC meeting two and a half years ago¹ in which State stressed the urgency of meeting the Soviet IRBM threat. Mr. Murphy observed that State was certainly disposed to favor any military moves that would increase the deterrent strength of the U.S. and NATO.

Mr. Quarles indicated the possibilities of hard-basing IRBM’s in the mountains of Turkey. Mr. Murphy asked, in this connection, whether it would be necessary to locate the IRBM sites near Izmir and Adana where there are already large numbers of U.S. military personnel. Brig. Gen. Martin replied that no decision could be made until there had been a survey on the ground and consultation with the Turkish authorities, both of which were precluded at present. He indicated that there would be some flexibility but that any site should have adequate access by rail, road or air.

In response to questions regarding requirements for U.S. personnel, Defense representatives stated that one IRBM squadron would require initially about 1250 men, of which 600 would be military personnel, 350 support personnel and 300 civilian contract personnel. [2-1/2 lines of source text not declassified]

[2 paragraphs (29-1/2 lines of source text) not declassified]

Mr. Wilson reviewed MSP developments which would make it difficult to absorb IRBM costs of the various magnitudes that had been indicated thus far (some of which have been as high as $120 million per squadron). He stressed that a firm indication from Defense of the magnitude of these costs was more important than information on the timing of MSP reimbursement to a decision by Mr. Dillon on MSP funding of IRBM’s. Mr. Wilson pointed out that a decision might well involve a choice between IRBM’s and other high priority military aid needs for Europe.

Mr. Quarles said he did not think the MSP cost for two squadrons of IRBM’s would be anything like as high as $250 million. He did not feel that the cost should be the controlling consideration, but recognized Mr. Dillon’s need to know what it would be. He thought the MSP cost would probably be no more than about $60 million per squadron (presumably for the specialized equipment), and said he would provide firm estimates early in the following week² so that they could be taken into account by State in reaching its decision.

0. Source: Department of State, PPS Files: Lot 67 D 548, Turkey. Secret. Drafted by Magill. The meeting took place in Quarles’ office at the Pentagon. A note on the source text reads: “Uncleared Memo.”
1. Apparently a reference to discussion of defense policy at the 288th Meeting of the NSC on June 19, 1956. The memorandum of discussion is in Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records.
2. A copy of Quarles’ February 12 letter to Murphy outlining Department of Defense estimates of the cost of basing IRBMs in Turkey and Greece is in Department of State, Central Files, 711.56382/2–1259.