3f$_fTOP SECRET f L 4 glffi 1-1 June 22 1960 I I 5 I 13note a sentence in POLTO zuto recounting Nerstad's June 10 missile briefing of NAG 5f Emphasized NATO forces must be ready to react I two to five minutes after warning thus 7 appears to be thinking in terms or a missile force which would be fired after warning of impending attack and before Soviet missiles had landed 5 five or ten minutes later 1 This seems to me rather inconsistent with 9 the emphasis in this briefing on the need for mobility and or order to survive If the missiles can survive initial attack they need not react quickly One of the main reasons for favoring deployment of second - rather than first - generation HR BH's i n T urope in fact was to avoid the necessity for such an instant reaction - by dep1oying Weapon which could survive enemy attack and which need not therefore be fired on a strike first basis The inconsistency between these two aspects of the briefing seems sufficiently important so that it might be useful to get some clarification from Paris - perhaps in a letter or telegram to Thurston I attach an outline of the questions that - might be put to him i Gerard C Smith TO EUR Hr Kohler TOP r a n TOP SECRET 9 1 Note Puget June 11 aietement pro ecfed missile forces must be ready to reaot from two to five minutes after warning following on his statement_thet Soviets will in 1963 have missile -ce ebility f0 surprive ettnok with accuracy and in large numbers 2 Also note emphasis in briefing on need for mobility and dispersal in order to survive 3 If projected MRBH forces to be f red after warnin 3rd before Soviet missiles had landed 11 as implied para 1 why'empheeie on eurvivel If I i intended that mi eilee wou1d be fired efter eurv1V1ng att ok why emphasis on need to react 2-5 minutes arter werh1n3 f hm Wld appreoiute oi 1fioatlod This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu