Office of the Historian

81. Memorandum for the Record Prepared by the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Wickham)1

Washington, January 14, 1976.

SUBJECT

  • Discussion between Secretaries Rumsfeld and Kissinger on two NATO issues: Paper on Improving the Effectiveness of NATO’s Theater Nuclear Forces; and Modifying the POSEIDON Commitment to NATO

On 14 January, Secretaries Rumsfeld and Kissinger reached the following general agreements:

a. The paper on improving the effectiveness of NATO’s theater nuclear forces. Secretary Kissinger said that he had reviewed much of the paper and understood that it proposed NATO would undertake review of various aspects of the nuclear posture with a view to possibly making some adjustments in the posture. However, pending this review no adjustments would be made outside of MBFR. Secretary Kissinger said he [Page 328] agreed with the paper and believed that it would be appropriate to release it into NATO as Secretary Rumsfeld previously had indicated. This meant that the paper would be released to the Military Committee (through Admiral Weinel) for comment by the MNCs and subsequent recommendations to the NPG. Secretary Rumsfeld would speak to the issue at the January NPG and provide the MODs with an information copy of the paper. It was also agreed that in formulating specific U.S. proposals with regard to U.S. nuclear deployments in NATO, DOD would coordinate these proposals through the Defense Review Panel process.

b. Modification of POSEIDON commitment to NATO. Secretary Kissinger expressed a concern that the U.S. not take actions which could be interpreted by Europeans as a prelude to withdrawal of our nuclear commitment to NATO. He agreed that we could make the offer to NATO to commit additional POSEIDON RVs on the proviso that no changes be made in the QRA commitment pending analysis by SACEUR and subsequent DPC review of this analysis. (He understood that targeting of the additional POSEIDON RVs might require some adjustments in the current targeting of QRA aircraft.) Secretary Rumsfeld agreed with this arrangement, and he would be prepared to make the offer at the January NPG. This will permit the JSTPS to begin targeting tasks.

Via secure telephone, I discussed the foregoing general agreements with Brent Scowcroft. He agreed with the understanding on the POSEIDON RV commitment; therefore, DOD can proceed with actions to modify the POSEIDON commitment to NATO. General Scowcroft also agreed with the understanding on the paper concerning the effectiveness of NATO’s theater nuclear forces. DOD also can proceed with actions to introduce this paper into the Military Committee.

John A. Wickham, Jr. Major General, USA
Military Assistant
  1. Summary: Wickham recorded a discussion between Rumsfeld and Kissinger on NATO theater nuclear forces and the modification of the Poseidon commitment to NATO.

    Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330–79–0049, NATO 320.2, 14 Jan 76. Secret. Copies were sent to Clements, Ellsworth, the Chairman of the JCS, ASD/ISA, and ATSD/AE. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates the Secretary of Defense saw it on January 15. In an undated memorandum to Rumsfeld, Wickham noted, “Scowcroft agrees with releasing the Tac Nuc paper to NATO and with modifying the Poseidon commitment.” (Ibid.)

    ↩