126. Paper Prepared by the Ad Hoc Interagency Working Group1

NEW SALT OPTIONS

I. Current Status

The US and Soviet package proposals as put forward during Secretary Kissinger’s recent trip to Moscow are shown in the table below.

US Soviet
ALCMs on Heavy Bombers Ban above 2500 km; Count H.B. w/ ALCMs in 1320 Ban above 2500 km; Count H.B. w/ ALCMs in 1320; B–1 counts as three
ALCMs on Aircraft Other than Heavy Bombers Ban above 600 km Ban above 600 km
SLCMs on Submarines Ban above 600 km Ban above 600 km
SLCMs on Surface Ships Ban above 2500 km; (1)2 Count platforms in 1320
(2)2Limit of 25 platforms in 5-year agreement
Ban above 600 km
Land-Launched Cruise Missiles Ban above 2500 km Ban above 600 km
Backfire (1) Count in 2400 aggregate after October 1977
(2) Limit of 275 in 5-year agreement
Assurances on maximum operational radius and intercontinental capability
Aggregate (1) 2400
(2) 2300 by October 1980 with 5-year agreement
2300 or lower if cruise missile limits are accepted

[Omitted here are sections on the various SALT packages.]

  1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSC Program Analysis Staff, Jan Lodal Convenience Files, Box 41, SALT General Subseries, New SALT Options. Top Secret; Sensitive. The paper was sent under a covering memorandum from Molander to the SALT Verification Panel Working Group for consideration at the Verification Panel meeting scheduled for January 31, but postponed until February 5. Draft minutes of the VP meeting are ibid., NSC Institutional Files, Box 22, Meeting Minutes, Verification Panel (Drafts), January–February 1976.
  2. (1) Designates the US position at the start of the Moscow discussions; (2) designates the US position at the conclusion of the discussions. [Footnote is in the original.]