Details Of Nuclear Force Proposals

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30073, 6 March 1963, Page 13

Details Of Nuclear Force Proposals

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) WASHINGTON, March 4. The international nuclear force proposed by the United States to defend Europe would be armed with about 200 Polaris missiles, United Press International reported today.

Details of the United States idea of the multilateral nuclear force were disclosed as the Presidential envoy, Mr Livingston Merchant, set out on a tour to promote it in North Atlantic Treaty capitals, toe news agency said.

Other details were: The missiles would be mounted, eight or leas to a ship, on 25 or more surface vessels. The crews would lose their national identities to become meofoers of a N.A.T.O. legion with distinctive uniforms and flag. The United States expected the European members of toe force to pay more than half toe initial and

continuing costs of toe fleet. Any participant, including the United States, would have the right to veto a firing order.

The first formal step towards the force’s creation bad been taken in December, when President Kennedy and the British Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan) agreed two new strategic strike forces should be created. They were toe N.A.T.O. nuclear force (N.NT.) and the sea-borne Multilateral Nuclear Force (MJJT.). N.N.F. would be made up of strategic nuclear forces which toe United States and Britain would assign to NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander for Europe The British would assign their Bomber Command, the United States three Polaris submarines. Both nations would transfer rights over the firepower of these forces to toe N.AT.O.’s Supreme Commander, who would have first call on their services. The planes and submarines would be manned by officers and men of toe British or United States armed forces. The British could withdraw their bombers and toe Americans their submarines any time they believed their supreme national intersets made this necessary. M.L.F. would have about 200 Polaris missiles which would be mounted on 26 or more surface vessels, probably redesigned cargo ships. MLf. vessels and masailes would be internationally-

owned, either by NATO, or by a consortium of toe N.A.T.O. members contributing to MXJT.