Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–14, Part 2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1973–1976

42. Paper Prepared in the Department of Defense¹

Washington, April 19, 1974.

A STUDY OF THE MILITARY ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL OR GEOPHYSICAL MODIFICATION ACTIVITY, IN RESPONSE TO NSC MEMORANDUM DATED 25 January 1974

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study responds to a National Security Council (NSC) memorandum of 25 January 1974, which directed a study by the Department of Defense of the military application of weather modification including: types, current programs and capabilities, current and projected research, and alternative techniques.

I. Introduction: The 1972 NSC Under Secretaries Committee (USC) Weather Modification Study Report to the President is summarized. In response to the USC report, the President, in NSDM 165, adopted the following civilian weather modification policies: (1) research and development will continue; (2) international cooperation and understanding will be furthered and the U.S. will conduct programs with maximum openness; (3) requests for U.S. assistance will not be encouraged, but will be considered on merits by the NSC Under Secretaries Committee established to monitor U.S. weather modification activities; and (4) no climate modification operations will be conducted without specific Presidential approval. A policy decision on military applications was deferred and no action was taken on regulatory legislation.

Since these decisions were reached, the Senate has passed a resolution urging that the U.S. seek an international treaty prohibiting the use of weather modification as a weapon of war. To date, no Executive Branch action has been initiated. Senator Pell held hearings on the subject in January 1974; in addition DoD provided a classified briefing to Senator Pell’s Subcommittee in Executive Session in March 1974.

The Introduction concludes with requisite technical definitions applicable throughout the study.

II. Current Capabilities: At present, no capability exists to alter the environment in a controlled (militarily useful) manner through oceanographic, terrestrial, or ionospheric modification techniques. Accordingly, this section addresses weather modification activities in fog, precipitation, severe storms, and inadvertent weather modification. The conclusion is that even in the cases of the most advanced knowledge in weather modification technology (fog and precipitation), the state-of-the-art is minimal.

III. Current Operational Programs: Only two DoD programs are operational: Army warm fog dissipation using helicopters, and Air Force cold fog dissipation using airborne dry ice and ground-based propane seeding.

IV. Research and Development Programs: This section describes in detail on-going DoD programs, as follows:

Weather Modification: Army; three small atmospheric programs (two in fog dissipation; one in dust control); Navy; four programs (one in precipitation modification, one in fog dissipation and suppression, one in inadvertent weather modification, and one in mathematical simulation applicable to weather modification; Air Force; one atmospheric research project in dissipation of warm fog and low stratus clouds.

Climate Modification: One ARPA computer program to exploit current knowledge in atmospheric sciences.

Oceanographic Modification: No DoD programs.

Terrestrial Modification: No DoD programs. ARPA has sponsored research in control of earthquakes related to underground nuclear test detection.

Ionospheric: No DoD programs. However, all the Military Departments are assessing the impact of ionospheric variations on communications and surveillance.

V. Potential Military Utility and Significance: Offensive and defensive applications of weather modification are described, pointing out the possibility of both local and/or large scale techniques. Offensive potential includes harassment, damage inflicting, supporting, and blocking operations. Defensive potential includes direct defensive, supporting, rescue, and damage avoiding operations.

Operations of major military significance are described (change levels of precipitation; stimulate or suppress fog; and intensify or suppress cyclones).

It is concluded that climate modification has limited military application because the magnitude of the operation is unpredictable and such activity would probably be highly overt.

It is concluded that Oceanographic Modification also has limited military application principally because of the scope of operation required to produce significant results.

With respect to terrestrial modifications, it is concluded that current techniques could have significant military application in masking underground nuclear testing, and in aircraft, missile and submarine navigation.

Finally, Ionospheric Modification could have significant military application in disruption of radio communications and missile launch detection, tracking, and discrimination.

VI. Alternatives: This section describes potential (or actual) techniques which permit military operations “in spite of” adverse weather including radar bombing, infrared sensors, improved instrumented landing systems, and improved “all weather” weapons. Additionally, in the event an enemy achieves a significant weather modification capability, which the U.S. is not able to counter through weather technology, alternatives to the threat mentioned include the full range of military capabilities now available from conventional war through strategic nuclear options.

The requirement for continued R&D is stressed as essential lest the U.S. face technological surprise in the military application of environmental modification.

The technical annexes are:

A. Foreign Activity

B. Legal Implications

C. Statement of the American Meteorological Society

Of these, Annex A is particularly significant in detailing the comprehensive Soviet program as well as Peoples Republic of China (PRC) activities.

[Omitted here are the remainder of the study and three technical annexes.]

1. Summary: The study, prepared in response to Kissinger’s request, examined the military application of weather modification.

   Source: Ford Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files—Meetings, Box 13, Senior Review Group Meeting, 8/28/74—Environmental Warfare (2). Secret. All brackets are in the original except those indicating text omitted by the editors. Kissinger’s January 25 memorandum to Schlesinger is Document 28. NSDM 165, May 2, 1972, “International Aspects of Weather Modification,” is in the National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files, National Security Decision Memoranda, Box H–208, NSDM 151–NSDM 200.