Guidance of nuclear submarines

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 20

Guidance of nuclear submarines

Sir, — When I commenced some nine years ago this month, to investigate the purposes for which an Omega station was desired in New Zealand, the first fact that I discovered was that the system was being developed by the United States Navy for the undersea guidance of its fleet of ballistic nuclear missile submarines; and I still possess official United States Gove r n m e n t documents confirming this. To the best of my knowledge the armed services of th' United States have never denied the fact. Naturally, I have no knowledge of what evasions and misrepresentations were made to the New Zealand Government at diplomatic level in response to its inquiries, beyond what appeared in newspapers. It seems incredible to me that government departments, either here or in Australia, (“The Press,” May 9) should place more faith in information acquired through diplomatic sources, considering that duplicity is their stock in trade, when the knowledge required is freely available from reliable technical sources. — Yours, etc., P. A. G. HOWELL. May 12. 1977.

[The Public Affairs Officer at the American Embassy, Wellington (Mr K. Dean Koch'! replies as follows: “Omega is a long wave, hyperbolic radio navigational aid. It can be used by any ship with an Omega navigation receiver to determine with extreme accuracy a

position at sea. Omega receivers readily available on the commercial market can cost as little as SUSI99S for the amateur yachtsman. Since Omega can be used by any suitably equipped ship, it can be used by military vessels of any nation, as can any other navigational aid such as the compass, sextant and pelorus.”]