Missiles Ready

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30634, 28 December 1964, Page 11

Missiles Ready

(N Z. Press Association —Copyright) WASHINGTON, December 27. United States Navy polaris missiles now are poised in the tubes of a submarine in position to lob massive nuclear fire on China.

The Defence Department confirmed yesterday that the submarine Daniel Boone—which lias 16 1800-mile-range rockets aboard—has sailed from Guam into waters off the Asian mainland. She is the first of an expected seven-ship squadron for the far western Pacific station. Daniel Boone left the Polaris servicing base at Bangor, Washington, several weeks ago and recently has been alongside the tender ship Proteus in Guam harbour. A Defence Department spokesman said it was only coincidental that the first of the missile submarines should take station only three months after China detonated a nuclear test device and began claiming status as an atomic power nation. However, the fact that China has taken a first step toward a nuclear arsenal means that new and important strategic targets are emerging in that country. On List Until the evidence of her nuclear capability came, targets worthy for listing on the joint strategic target list of the United States Air Force and Navy were of conventional nature and far fewer than those in the Soviet Union target complex. Targets in China, of course, have been on the strategic list for years. Air Force intercontinental ballistic missiles at west coast and north-west United States

sites and manned bombers of both the Air Force and Navy carriers have been assigned targets. But the list now would have been revised to assign specific targets to the Polaris submarines. The approximate 1800-inile range of the A2 series of missiles with which Daniel Boone is armed brings more than half of China within reach. Daniel Boone later will be refitted for use of the A 3 series missiles, with a range of about 2800 miles. Secret Area If the schedule of the Polaris submarines deployed in the Atlantic is followed, Daniel Boone will steam in a secret area somewhere outside the 100-fathom curve on the continental shelf of Asia for about two months. By that time, the second Polaris submarine is expected to be re«.dy for deployment, followed at increasing frequency by others of the squadron. A Polaris submarine returns to the tender at a forward anchorage at the end l of a 60-day patrol to exchange crews, take on supplies and replace missiles if necessary. The use of forward-based tender ships, together with floating drydocks for routine inspection and repair, reduces to a small fraction the time which would be needed for a submarine to steam thousands of miles back to home ports in the United States, then sail back to station again. Two Points The Navy emphasises two points about its Polaris system: the submarines are virtually invulnerable to discovery as they lurk deep down on station; because of the floating forward base technique they are independent of need for using land bases in a foreign country. The range of the Polaris missiles would bring within their reach most of China's population and industrial centres.