Office of the Historian

64. Summary of Conclusions of a National Security Council Meeting1

Washington, May 10, 1978, 1:30 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • Defense Department Consolidated Guidance

PARTICIPANTS

  • The President

  • State

    • Secretary Cyrus Vance

  • Defense

    • Secretary Harold Brown
    • Deputy Secretary Charles Duncan

  • JCS

    • General David Jones

  • CIA

    • Admiral Stansfield Turner

  • White House

    • Zbigniew Brzezinski

  • OMB

    • James McIntyre, Director
    • Randy Jayne, Associate Director

  • NSC Staff

    • Reginald Bartholomew
    • Victor Utgoff

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS

Navy Carrier Force Levels

For planning purposes, we should assume a continuation of the current force level of 12 carriers.

Navy Shipbuilding Problems

OMB is to study the possibility that changes during construction are responsible for much of the cost overrun problem that has been experienced in Navy shipbuilding. OMB is to carry through an analysis of the data detailing the history of the construction process for several of our ships, and prepare a report on its findings for discussion in a meeting with the President and concerned parties in the Navy and Defense Departments.

The Mission of the Navy

Dr. Brzezinski is to prepare terms of reference for a PRM on the Navy’s missions. These terms of reference will be discussed with Secretaries Vance and Brown and subsequently forwarded to the President for approval.

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Congressional Session on Foreign Policy

Dr. Brzezinski is to arrange for a Presidential session on foreign policy with selected Senators and Congressmen for the second week in June.

NATO Center vs. NATO Flanks

There was a general consensus that the balance in emphasis between the Center and the Flanks is about right. Secretary Brown noted that while we cannot do much more on the Southern Flank, because of its political weakness, the Northern Flank could be helped by earmarking for it the Marine forces General Haig now carries as a strategic reserve.

Congressional Support for NATO

Secretary Brown and Secretary Vance are to work up a strongly worded draft resolution of Congressional support for NATO.

NATO Prepositioning and Storage

There was a discussion of NATO prepositioning and in particular the problem of finding storage space for equipment within the FRG. It was agreed that the storage question would be raised during the NATO Summit or in the July meeting with Schmidt.

Persian Gulf Contingencies

Secretary Brown is to do a paper for consideration by the SCC on the following three questions:

1.
To what extent could or would the Iranians and Saudis help each other in various military contingencies, including a Cuban assault on Saudi Arabia from South Yemen?
2.
What might we do in the event of an attack by 10,000 Cubans from South Yemen against Saudi Arabia, acting on our own? and
3.
What would the Egyptians and Saudis have had to do and what kind of backing would we have had to provide if they had been willing to intervene in the Ogaden war?

This contingencies issue is especially sensitive and should be treated accordingly.

Simpler Weapons Systems

There was a brief discussion of the possibility of placing more emphasis on simpler weapons systems. It was agreed that a paper would be provided on this subject, looking to future discussion.

Process for Review of DOD Budget

Secretary Brown and Jim McIntyre are to provide a memo to the President delineating an improved process for review of the DOD budget.

Zbig Brzezinski
  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office, Meetings File, Box 1, NSC Meeting: #10 Held 5/10/78. Secret. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room at the White House. No minutes of the meeting were found.↩