186. National Security Decision Directive 2521
ICBM MODERNIZATION (U)
NSDD–178, dated July 10, 1985, outlined the overall U.S. Strategic Modernization Program.2 The ICBM portion of NSDD–178 directed the Department of Defense to be prepared to place a new basing mode for the Peacekeeper missile, and the small ICBM, into full-scale [Page 619] development in FY 1987. NSDD–227 directed the DOD to consider certain configurations of the small ICBM as options for development.3 The following guidance supersedes the direction in NSDD–178 and NSDD–227 pertaining to ICBM modernization. (S)
The modernization program outlined in this directive will guide the continued high priority modernization of our land-based ICBM forces. (S)
1. Peacekeeper
The Department of Defense will immediately place the concept of garrison rail mobile basing into full-scale development. The rail garrison system will be designed to respond to changing threats and will have the capability to operate out of garrison or on extended deployments to satellite bases or in continuous movement. Research on all other basing modes except as prescribed by law will cease immediately. (TS)
The development of garrison rail mobile basing will be implemented at an appropriate pace in order to be able to support a production decision on future Peacekeeper deployments in FY 1989 in support of a 1991 IOC. This development program will include the construction and test deployment of a prototype train in FY 1987. The program will also include a special study on command, control, and communications requirements for garrison basing and for covert deployment of the trains in times of crisis. Based on this study, the Secretary of Defense shall make appropriate recommendations to me on procedures for deployment of the missile trains from garrison in times of crisis and will be submitted to me by 1 October 1987. (TS)
The operational concept of garrison rail mobile will involve the deployment of at least 50 Peacekeeper missiles on rail cars garrisoned on military reservations in times of peace. The cars will be designed to look like standard rail cars to the maximum extent possible. The design and appearance of these cars will be classified Top Secret. As design of the cars progresses, consideration will be given to ways the cars could be constructed to be functionally and observably different for other rail cars if a future arms control agreement so required. The DOD will develop an appropriate number of Secret satellite bases that can be used to support deployment in times of crisis. Further covert basing locations for crisis use will also be developed as appropriate and will be controlled on a strict need-to-know-Codeword basis. While the Soviets would be able to determine the size and peacetime configuration of the rail-mobile missile force, the ability to deploy the force quickly to covert sites in time of crisis would provide a high degree of survivability. (TS)
[Page 620]The primary staffing of the locomotives will be through the use of appropriately cleared commercial railroad engineers and other crew members as required. Missile control and security will be maintained by Air Force crews. Backup staffing of locomotives will be by Air Force crews if required. (S)
The single point of contact with the rail industry is the Federal Railroad Administration. The Air Force, as executive agent for the DOD, working with the office of the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council and the Office of Management and Budget, will execute an appropriate memorandum of agreement (MOA) to ensure that coordination of rail safety issues and contacts with the rail industry are coordinated in the overall best interests of the country. This MOA will be submitted to me for approval no later than 15 April 1987. (S)
The main operating base for Peacekeeper garrison rail mobile is to be at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming where we already have a sizeable investment in Peacekeeper support facilities, with garrisons based both there and at other Defense installations. After considering the alternatives for satisfying the military-related requirements, I have decided that the candidate installations for locating garrisons should include:
| Barksdale AFB, LA | Little Rock AFB, AK |
| Blytheville AFB, AK | Malmstrom AFB, MT |
| Dyess AFB, TX | Minot AFB, ND |
| Fairchild AFB, WA | Whiteman AFB, MO |
| Grand Forks AFB, ND | Wurtsmith AFB, MI (S) |
These candidates are to be evaluated over the coming months on a high priority basis in order to determine their suitability for this program. Accordingly, preparation of an environmental impact statement is to be immediately undertaken to aid in final selections and the development of appropriate mitigations. Comments from the affected governors, members of Congress and the public are to be sought.
2. Small ICBM
The DOD will immediately place the SICBM into full-scale development. The SICBM baseline configuration will be a small single warhead missile which will weigh approximately 37,000 pounds. The development of the SICBM will be implemented at a pace that will support an FY 1989 production decision and an initial operational capability (IOC) in 1992. (TS)
The SICBM will be designed to operate from a hard mobile launcher that will be deployed in two basing modes. The initial basing mode will be on Minuteman bases starting with Malmstrom AFB, Montana. After activation of the missiles in Montana, follow-on [Page 621] systems will be deployed at Minuteman facilities at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming (with locations extending into Nebraska and Colorado) and Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. Later missiles should be deployed in random movement on large tracts of government land located in the Southwestern portion of the country. This could involve deployments at the Texas/New Mexico complex, consisting of Ft. Bliss, White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base, and at the Arizona complex, consisting of the Luke Air Force Range and Yuma Proving Ground. Holloman AFB and the Yuma Proving Ground would serve as the main operating base for the respective complexes. To aid in the making of site-specific decisions, a final environmental impact statement covering deployment and peacetime operations at each of the selected areas, and possible mitigation actions, is to be prepared with the benefit of public comment. (TS)
The DOD, working with the Air Force, will recommend to me an appropriate name for the SICBM by 1 April 1987. (S)
3. Future Requirements
In NSDD–178 I directed the DOD to recommend to me an appropriate program to attack relocatable targets in the Soviet Union using U.S. strategic forces. The DOD report that ensued noted the high survivability of mobile systems and recommended that it was premature to develop U.S. strategic systems capable of attacking relocatable targets in the Soviet Union. The DOD report recommended further study of the issue. (TS)
The results of that additional study should be reported to me by 1 December 1987. In that report the DOD should be prepared to recommend both changes to the U.S. offensive force structure where required, to deal with Soviet mobile targets and an appropriate mix of mobile forces for the U.S. ICBM force. This study should be based on the concept that the size of the deployment of future Peacekeeper missiles in garrison rail mobile basing and the size of the deployment of the SICBM will be decided at an appropriate time in FY 1989. There will also be a continuing need to review the relationship between these systems and our arms control objectives as the specific basing concepts are developed. The Department of State and the Department of Defense, working with other appropriate agencies, should assess this relationship, especially the implications of SICBM and garrison rail basing systems for verification of our START proposals. A preliminary report on this subject should be submitted to me by October 1, 1987. (TS)
- Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR–094, NSDD 252. Top Secret. Keel distributed the Decision Directive to Bush, Shultz, Weinberger, Dole, Miller, Casey, Crowe, and Adelman under cover of a December 24 memorandum: “The President has signed the attached National Security Decision Directive on ICBM Modernization.” (Ibid.)↩
- See Document 51.↩
- See Document 108.↩