Missile parity fears

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32588, 23 April 1971, Page 9

Missile parity fears

(N.Z Press Assn—Copyright) NEW YORK, April 22. The United States Secretary of Defence (Mr Melvin Laird) said yesterday that the Soviet Union had begun building a new and extensive intor-continental ballistic missile system which must be of great concern to America. In view of this, he said, the United States might be forced to take “additional offsetting actions” if the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks in Vienna failed to reach an agreement. In a speech to the annual conference of the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association, Mr Laird recalled that a year ago he had told another meeting of editors that he feared the United States might find herself in a second-rate strategic position by the mid-19705.

“I regret to report today that nothing has happened in the intervening 12 months to lessen that concern,” he said. “Quite the opposite is true.” Mr Laird said that in December and January it had appeared that the Soviet Union was slowing her rapid deployment of inter-continen-tal ballistic /missiles after installing about 400 more than the 1054 land based 1.C.8.M.s the United States had.

“In February and March, however, a new type of missile silo was detected in Russia, and more recent evidence confirms the sobering fact that the Soviet Union is involved in a new, and apparently extensive, 1.C.8.M. con-

struction programme,” Mr Laird said. “This new construction effort coupled with additional momentum in the strategic defensive area—all clearly planned months ago—must be of great concern to us.” Mr Laird said also that the Russians were rapidly closing the gap in submarine based missiles, an area where, to-

day, the United States had a clear advantage. "We sincerely hope for convincing progress at the S.A.L.T., but, failing such progress, I must tell you today that the renewed Russian strategic weapons momentum may confront us with the need for additional offsetting actions," Mr Laird added.