Killer-satellite talks

Press, 12 April 1978, Page 9

Killer-satellite talks

NZPA-Reuter Washington The United States and the Soviet Union will begin talks next month on an agreement to halt tests of “hunter-killer” space satellites, the American Secretary of State (Mr Cyrus Vance) has announced. Mr Vance told a meeting of .newspaper editors that the United States had proposed talks aimed at suspending testing of satellite destroyers and keeping space open for peaceful uses. “1 can confirm today that

i;the Soviet Union has recently accepted our proposal, and talks will begin i next month,” he said in rei marks prepared for delivery f to the meeting. The Soviet Union is ber lieved to be ahead of the ) United States in its capability to seek out satellites in ;l orbit and destroy them. The Soviet weapon has been ■' under development for • almost a decade and the s | United States Defence Secretary (Mr Harold Brown) said Mast year that it had become operational. After being launched into

orbit, the Soviet weapon is able to manoeuvre towards targets and then explode. Mr Vance’s speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors dealt with a variety of arms controls issues under discussion with the Soviet Union, including

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks he will have in Moscow next week.

Mr Vance said the two countries had made substantial progress over the past year towards a strategic arms limitation agreement, but added that important differences remained.