4. Presidential Review Memorandum/NSC–101
TO
- The Vice President
- The Secretary of State
- The Secretary of Defense
ALSO
- The Director, Office of Management and Budget
- The Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
- The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
- The Director of Central Intelligence
- The U.S. Representative to the United Nations
SUBJECT
- Comprehensive Net Assessment and Military Force Posture Review (U)
I hereby direct that a comprehensive examination be made of overall U.S. national strategy and capabilities. This examination will consist of two parts to be done concurrently.
One part of the examination will be conducted by the Policy Review Committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary of Defense. It will define a wide range of alternative military strategies and construct alternative military force postures and programs to support each of these military strategies. Among other topics, this segment will consider: military force levels; technological developments with regard to new weaponry; alternatives to our reliance on foreign bases; deterrence at reciprocally lowered strategic levels; viability and desirability of the “triad” posture. This portion should also evaluate the relative ability of the U.S. and its allies to achieve U.S. objectives in specified military contingencies. It will identify the key issues for Presidential decisions, including the budgetary implications of each of these postures.
The other part will be a dynamic net assessment conducted by the Special Coordination Committee under the chairmanship of the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. It will consist of review and comparison of the overall trends in the political, diplomatic, economic, technological, and military capabilities of the United States, its allies, and potential adversaries. It will evaluate the objectives and national strategies that may be pursued by our principal potential [Page 21] adversaries and examine the alternative national objectives and strategies appropriate to the United States.
This two-part analysis should identify for Presidential decisions alternative national strategies and the major defense programs and other initiatives required to implement them. The two parts should be carefully coordinated with one another. In order to achieve this, I have directed the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs to develop additionally more detailed terms of reference for this analysis.
These terms of reference will be presented for my review by February 24.2 I also want interim reports to allow further guidance as the study progresses. A summary of the entire report, not to exceed 70 pages, should be submitted for NSC consideration not later than June 1, 1977; the final version should be completed by June 15, 1977.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, General Odom File, Box 37, PRM–1 through PRM–11: 1–2/77. Secret; Exdis.↩
- See Document 5.↩