Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, East Asia-Pacific Region; Cambodia; Laos, Volume XVI

28. Progress Report Prepared by the SEATO Military Advisers for the SEATO Council¹

MA1OM

Wellington, April 7, 1959.

PROGRESS REPORT TO THE SEATO COUNCIL FROM THE MILITARY ADVISERS, WELLINGTON, APRIL 1959

Introduction

1. This report contains a summary of the work accomplished by the Military Advisers since the Council last met in Manila in March 1958. At that meeting the Council was advised of the programme of future work that had been drawn up. Progress on this programme is discussed below.

Planning for the Defence of the Treaty Area

Intelligence Estimate of the Communist Threat to the SEATO Area

2. We have approved a reassessment of the military threat to the Treaty Area. We believe that the Communists do not currently contemplate the application of overt military force, although the security of the Treaty Area will continue to be threatened by the subversive activities of the indigenous Communist parties, and by the diplomatic, economic and cultural propagandist offensive of the Sino-Soviet bloc. Nevertheless, the risk of hostilities breaking out through miscalculation by the Communists cannot be overlooked and we have considered it prudent to draw up plans to cover certain eventualities. These are discussed further below.

Chinese Communist Overt Intervention

3. We have considered a study² defining the hostile acts which should be regarded as prima facie evidence of “Chinese Communist Overt Intervention”. This study has been passed to your Representatives for information. We have instructed the Military Planning Office to take the conclusions of this study into account in planning for the defence of South-East Asia.

The Defense of South-East Asia Against Overt Communist Aggression on the Philippines

4. Further consideration has been given to the threat of overt Communist aggression on the Philippines and we have agreed that there is little likelihood of an attack on that country in isolation. We have therefore instructed the Military Planning Office to take the defence of the Philippines into account when they are drawing up other plans for the defence of the Treaty Area.

The Defence of South Vietnam Against Viet Minh (DRV) Aggression with Chinese Communist Covert Support

5. We have taken note of a concept of operations for the defence of South Vietnam against DRV aggression with Chinese Communist covert support, and have directed the Military Planning Office to take this into consideration in the further development of plans for the defence of the Treaty Area.

The Defence of South-East Asia Against Initial Viet Minh (DRV) Aggression and Subsequent Chinese Communist Intervention

6. Under this subject we have considered primarily the defence of the Protocol States and Thailand against DRV aggression and subsequent Chinese Communist intervention. This plan also takes into account the defensive measures required in the Philippines. The development of the plan is progressing satisfactorily in concert with other plans for the defence of the Treaty Area.

The Defence of South-East Asia, Including Pakistan and the Philippines Against an Attack by Chinese Communist and Viet Minh (DRV) Forces

7. A plan to meet this eventuality is currently being prepared in the Military Planning Office.

The Naval Study of the Treaty Area

8. Work on this study is progressing satisfactorily but completion awaits definition of the arrangements for the naval control of shipping and matters pertaining to amphibious operations.

Military Measures To Counter Communist Insurgency

9. Since your last meeting we have considered a further study on this subject which included reappraisals of steps to strengthen the capacity of threatened countries to counter Communist insurgency. We believe that the country most threatened at the present time is Laos. We have therefore considered a plan for the introduction and maintenance of a SEATO force to assist in countering Communist insurgency in that country. We have directed the Military Planning Office to develop this plan further in respect of forces likely to be made available by Member Nations and logistic support requirements.

10. We have also directed the MPO to continue to review the insurgent threat in other Protocol States and develop studies where necessary.

Meetings

11. Since March 1958 we have held further meetings at Bangkok in September 1958 and at Wellington in April 1959. In addition, augmenting the continuing work of the Military Planning Office, a number of our specialist staffs have met as follows:

(a) At the 1st Meeting of the Mapping Ad Hoc Committee—Bangkok, April 1958

(b) At the 4th Meeting of the Intelligence Ad Hoc Committee—Bangkok, December 1958

(c) At a Meeting of a Logistic Working Party—Bangkok, February 1959

SEATO Training Exercises

12. In view of the importance which we attach to combined training, a further series of SEATO exercises have been conducted since your last meeting. These were:

(a) Exercise Vayabut—an air support and air defence exercise in Thailand sponsored jointly by Thailand and the United States—April 1958.

(b) Exercise Ocean Link—a maritime exercise on the Manila–Singapore axis, sponsored by the United States—May 1958.

(c) Exercise Kitisena—a ground forces command post exercise held in Thailand, sponsored jointly by Thailand and the United States—February 1959.

(d) Exercise Air Progress—an air defence, air resupply and air drop exercise held in Thailand, sponsored jointly by Thailand and the United States—March 1959.

13. Further SEATO exercises projected for 1959 are:

(a) Exercise Seademon—a maritime exercise on the Singapore–Manila axis sponsored by Australia—April 1959.

(b) Exercise Halang Dagat—a harbour defence exercise in the Philippines sponsored by the Philippines—June 1959.

(c) Exercise Saddle-Up—an amphibious exercise in North Borneo sponsored jointly by the United Kingdom and the United States—June 1959.

Future Exercises

14. We have approved the exercise schedule for the year 1959/1960 and a programme of exercises for the following two years.

Other Work

Proposed liaison visit by the Chief, Military Planning Office to NATO and the Baghdad Pact Organisation

15. We have agreed in principle to a proposal that the Chief, Military Planning Office should pay a liaison visit to NATO and the Baghdad Pact Organisation. We have instructed the Chief, Military Planning Office to prepare detailed terms of reference of this visit and, when these have been agreed, we shall consult your Representatives for political clearance.

Non-material standardisation

16. Significant progress has been made in this field. Nineteen SEASTAGs (SEATO Standardisation Agreements) have been circulated to Member Nations for ratification. The Military Planning Office is in direct correspondence with the NATO Military Agency for Standardisation and has requested this Agency to forward to the Military Planning Office copies of all further non-material standardisation agreements which can be released to SEATO.

Communications

17. We have further examined the requirement for military communication facilities between Bangkok and Singapore, and have concluded that, at this stage, no requirement exists for a permanent installation of this nature. We have directed, however, that the Military Planning Office shall keep this matter under review.

SEATO Military Finance

18. Agreement has been reached within the Organisation on Financial Regulations and on the Terms of Reference of the Budget Sub-Committee.

19. The Military Budget Estimates for the fiscal year 1959/1960 have been forwarded to your Representatives for transmission to you.

Future Work

20. We have agreed to 22 September 1959 as the tentative date for the Eleventh Military Advisers’ Conference in Bangkok.

21. A programme of future work for the Military Planning Office has been drawn up and is attached at Annex.

Recommendations

22. We recommend that the Council note this Progress Report.

Annex

PROGRAMME OF FUTURE WORK

SEATO MILITARY PLANNING OFFICE

The Military Advisers approved the following programme of future work for the Military Planning Office:

(a) To revise and further develop plans for the introduction and maintenance of a SEATO force to assist in countering Communist insurgency in Laos, particularly in respect of forces likely to be made available by member nations and logistic support requirements.

(b) To continue to review the insurgent threat in other Protocol States and develop studies for the introduction and maintenance of a SEATO force to assist in countering Communist insurgency, where indicated.

(c) To further develop the operational and logistic plans in accordance with their direction for the defence of South-East Asia against initial DRV aggression and subsequent Chinese Communist intervention. (In the development of these plans, consideration should be taken of MPO Plan 3/58.)

(d) To further develop operational and logistic plans for the defence of South-East Asia, including Pakistan and the Philippines, against an attack by Chinese Communist and DRV forces.

(e) To examine the report of the Logistics Working Party (LWP1M) and, where appropriate forward comments to the Military Advisers out of session.

(f) To draw up terms of reference for the investigation team examining the question of the class of tank for operations in Thailand.

(g) To complete the Naval study of the Treaty Area.

(h) To prepare a paper setting out in detail the purpose of the proposed liaison visit by the Chief MPO to NATO and the Baghdad Pact Organisation.

(j) To continue work in the field of non-material standardisation.

1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1254. SEATO Top Secret. Attached to a covering note dated April 7 by Major General Cyril E. Weir, Military Adviser from New Zealand and Chairman of the Tenth Military Advisers’ Conference held in Wellington April 2–4. (SCM/59/D–1) The other Military Advisers were: General Luang Swasdi Kolayudh, Thailand; Lieutenant General Manuel E. Cabal, Philippines; Air Marshal Mohammed Asghar Khan, Pakistan; Vice Admiral Sir Roy Dowling, Australia; Vice Admiral d’Escadre Paul Ortoli, France; and Admiral Felt, United States.
2. Not found.