284. Memorandum From the Secretary of the Army (Resor) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Packard)1 2
SUBJECT:
- Study Group Report—Kagnew Station
Reference is made to:
- a. Deputy Secretary of Defense memorandum, 17 July 1969, subject: Study Group Report—Kagnew Station.
- b. Department of the Navy memorandum for the Secretary of Defense, 18 December 1969, subject: Engineering Plan for Navy Assumption of DCS Functions and Consolidation of HF Transmitting and Receiving Functions Under the Navy at Kagnew Station, Asmara, Ethiopia.
The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend your reconsideration of the decision, reference a, which directed assumption by Navy of Army responsibilities for operation and maintenance of Defense Communications System (DCS) facilities in FY 1972.
I recommend that consolidation of DCS facilities at Kagnew Station be deferred indefinitely and Service assignments at Kagnew Station remain unchanged. My reasons are briefly as follows:
a. In reference b, Navy estimates the cost of consolidation at $4.9 million. These funds are unprogrammed. Austerity of current programs and drastically reduced funding resources raise serious questions as to the value of pursuing consolidation actions at Kagnew Station.
b. U.S. tenure agreement will expire in 1978; however, it may be abrogated prior to that time at the discretion of the Ethiopian Parliament.
c. Overall reduction in manpower is negligible.
d. Visibility of U.S. presence may well be increased by the arrival on station of additional Navy personnel.
[Page 2]I am in full agreement with the view expressed by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, reference b, that the most cost effective course of action is to maintain the status quo in Asmara.
If you decide not to maintain the status quo in Asmara,
I have
inclosed my comments on the Navy plan for consolidation, and in
addition, I am enclosing my counterproposal.