Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXXIV, National Security Policy, 1969–1972

215. National Security Decision Memorandum 172¹

Washington, June 27, 1972.

• TO
  • The Secretary of Defense
  • The Director, Office of Management and Budget

• SUBJECT
  • FY 73 DOD Budget Amendment

The President has directed that an Amendment to the FY 73 Defense Budget should be submitted to include:

• —An additional $2.77 billion to cover the cost of U.S. and Allied operations in Southeast Asia assuming the intensified activity continues through September 30, 1972. In addition, $25 million will be provided to cover additional cost of repairing highways and bridges destroyed during the offensive.
• —The reductions in Safeguard funding proposed by the Secretary of Defense in light of the SAL agreements.
• —An additional $155 million for the additions to strategic programs recommended by the Secretary of Defense. The President indicates he is only approving research and development on the new strategic programs and is not approving either full systems development or procurement. He also desires to review these programs in detail as part of his review of the FY 74 budget later this year.
• —An additional $13 million to improve verification of the SAL agreements. These funds should be used to enhance DOD’s verification capability under the direction of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Funds not required for this purpose shall be used to improve national means of verification.

Henry A. Kissinger

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 237, Agency Files, DPRC & Defense Budget, Chronological File. Secret.