U.S.I.R.B.M. PLANS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29108, 21 January 1960, Page 13

U.S.I.R.B.M. PLANS

None For Far East

WASHINGTON, January 20. The United States has no plans to base intermediate range ballistic missiles in the Far East, according to leading defence officials whose testimony to Congress was made public yesterday.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (General Nathan Twining) and the United States Secretary of Defence (Mr Thomas Gates) testified to the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee in secret session six days ago. Th- heavily-censored transcript of their testimony made public yesterday showed that a committee member asked: “Is there not a plan to base 1.R.8.M.’s in the Far East, possibl” in Japan and in Korea?” General Twining replied: “No, sir, we do not.” Asked why not, General Twining replied: “We will have used all of the 1.R.8.M.’s in our overseas deployments to allied countries. That is the last of them.”

Britain, Italy and Turkey are setting up bases for United States LR.B.M.’s. Mr Gates said in answer to another question that it was “not desirable” to have LR.B.M.’s in the Far East. He said: “It is pro-

tected by the Strategic Air Command ind our other strategic weapons systems wherever they happen to be based. Also, we are getting increasingly worried about the vulnerability of exposed missiles. ...”

General Twining interjected: “The Mace missile will go to Okinawa.” The Mace is not a ballistic but an “air-breathing” missile. Unlike the 1.R.8.M., which has a range of 1500 miles, the Mace has a range of 650 miles. An improved version has a 1000-mile range. General Twining did not say which version was being sent to Okinawa. Both versions are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.