156. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)0
McGB:
President asked Taylor the status of UK air offer to Indians (I wish that one of these days JFK would call me with such questions). I told Ewell we had no news whatsoever. Of course we’ve had no reply to JFK 6 July message to PM1 grudgingly agreeing to pay three-fourths of Lightning costs.
I got State and DOD both to tell London last week to find out what’s going on. So we should hear soon.
[Page 310]It’s also unclear whether reported Indian purchase of MIG engines for HF-24 is fact or rumor, or what impact it might have. I’d agree with Galbraith that, if true, it means Indian manufacture of MIGs is off. Thus the worst thing we feared has been short-circuited.
Galbraith is most unhappy (Delhi 198)2 with State instruction telling him to lay off ginning up Indian requests for US equipment, including C-130s. When Carl and I cleared last Macmillan message with President, he asked about C-130s. I told him Indians had displayed little interest and seemed to be buying more Soviet AN-12s. So he said let’s forget about the C-130s; we’ll be paying enough for the Lightnings as it is.
Ken is unhappy at losing any card, however weak, but we’re getting word to him that we saved Lightnings by sacrificing C-130s.3 Having always thought C-130s the weakest part of our spoiling offer, I had no hesitation. All State is asking Ken to do is quit peddling C-130s. If Indians turn around and show interest without further encouragement, that’s different; we’ll play that by ear.
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, Staff Memoranda, Robert Komer, 7/62. Secret.↩
- See Document 152.↩
- Dated July 18. (Department of State, Central Files, 791.5/7-1862)↩
- Telegram 232 to New Delhi, July 21. (Ibid., 611.91/7-2162)↩