119. Information Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs (Burt) to Secretary of State Haig 1
SUBJECT
- US Military Assistance to the UK During Falkland Island Crisis
This memorandum provides an update on the military assistance we have been providing the British. A full report on intelligence cooperation is the subject of a separate memo.2
Communications Support. UK access to the US Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) has increased [less than 1 line not declassified]. We also have loaned the British five man-portable SATCOM radios to facilitate UK utilization of the DSCS link. The British also have requested a second channel on the USN Fleet Broadcast System [2 lines not declassified].
Ascension Island Logistics Support. A tanker carrying a partial load (approximately 2.4 million gallons) of JP–5 fuel is scheduled to arrive at Ascension April 24–25. The British probably will have to reduce somewhat the tempo of their air resupply and Nimrod operations until the tanker arrives. The 2.4 million gallons should meet British needs for [Page 258] about three weeks. DoD is working with their UK counterparts on follow-on fuel supply.
We have not responded to the British request for additional US personnel to permit around-the-clock operation of the air control facilities at Ascension.
Military Equipment. You are current on the status of the British request for Stinger.3 We also have received a request for night observation devices.
Weather and Related Information. We are providing the British with weather information, oceanographic data etc. Some of this information is obtained by weather satellites. Much of the data is being supplied in the context of an ongoing mutual exchange of weather information.
Order of Battle and Related Information. We have responded to British requests for intelligence about Argentine military capabilities and our estimate of their probable operational effectiveness. We also have provided them with our assessment of the UK-Argentine military balance in the area.
Reconnaisance Information. We are supplying the British [1 line not declassified]. Intelligence obtained from aircraft operations (PARPRO information) is not being provided.
Miscellaneous. In response to a British inquiry, we informed them that there were no US submarines operating in the Falkland area. We also are providing normal merchant ship data to the UK.
You also should know that the JCS believes that, if the US wanted to, we could provide some of the same kinds of information (e.g., weather, merchant shipping) to the Argentines in an effort to demonstrate US even-handedness. In many cases, however, even this information would not be of the same quality or detail that we are supplying the British. We note, moreover, that such an offer to the Argentines could easily open the door to their requests for additional information which we would not provide.
- Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Special Handling Restrictions Memos 1979–1983, Lot 96D262, Super Sensitive April 1–30 1982. Top Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Kanter. Haig initialed the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the memorandum.↩
- Not further identified and not found.↩
- See Document 111.↩