Office of the Historian

28. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of Defense Schlesinger1

Washington, January 25, 1974.

SUBJECT

  • Military Aspects of Weather and Other Modification Activities

The President has requested that a study be conducted of the military aspects of environmental or geophysical modification activity (for example, various types of weather and climate modification).

This study should focus on such questions as the following:

—What are the current military programs in these techniques?

—What are our current capabilities and what is their strategic and tactical military utility or significance?

—What are our current and potential research and experimentation activities and what is their prognosis, including their potential military utility or significance?

—To what extent could the military objectives involved in the use of such techniques be accomplished by other means, and what would be the implications of utilizing such means?

This study should be closely held on a strict need-to-know basis and should be submitted by March 27, 1974.

Henry A. Kissinger

  1. Summary: Kissinger informed Schlesinger of President Nixon’s request that the Department of Defense conduct a study of the military aspects of environmental or geophysical modification activity.

    Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P860123–0519. Secret. A copy was sent to Rush. For the resultant study, see Document 42.

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