Of ce of the Secretary of Defense Chief RDD BSD WHS Date mm Authority 130 13526 Declassify Deny in Full Declassify in Part Reason MDR Fl 15333 mm SW v1 NATIONAL SECURITY coumon WASHINGTON 0 0 20503 EOE N0 OBJECTION TO FULL October 31 1991 MEMORANDUM FOR AMBASSADOR REGINALD SARTHOLOMEN MR STEPHEN HADLEY MR VICTOR ALESSI MR DOUGLAS MACEACMIN LTG JOHN SHALIKASHVILI AMBASSADOR READ HAMMER FROM JOHN SUBJECT Tactical Systems Paper DECLASSIFIED IN FULL Authority E013526 Chief Records 8 Declass DIV WHS 0810 MAR 1 5 2016 At a recent meeting of some of our principals they decided to ask our steering group to expand our work on the President's Nuclear Initiative to consider more fundamental questions of U S policy toward Soviet nuclear weapons in the context of the rapidly changing center-republic relationship In particular what nuclear arrangements do we want to see evolve how should we try to influence the center and the republics towards that end and what contingency plans should we have in place if that fails Our priorities should be to look first at the issues surrounding tactical nuclear weapons and then at strategic weapons This later subject should include an assessment of Gorbachev's proposal to go to further significant cuts in follow-on negotiations Attached is a first draft of an outline of a paper that focuses on the tactical systems I would like to discuss this tasking at our November 1 meeting and get the work underway $05 Beparimcnt of Energy Document Review v' Authority Dcdvod From Dminssii y On 2 2E5 Att achment Tactical Systems Paper 5 U853 I 1 Cluck Humbert I Classi cation Relnined Upgradodfbowngradcd To onluins No DOE Classi ed Info 4 Coordinate 5 Classi ed Info 5 I lwa aknml' awuhriys M-35 03 Dc- cl October 31 1991 @m Peaceful devolution of power from the former Soviet Union to republics without the threat or use of conventional or nuclear force All Soviet nuclear weapons under a single -- inter-republic collective control authority with responsibility over deployment modernization dismantling use etc of all Soviet nuclear weapons Republics would be represented in the collective and have a say in all decisions No other independent nuclear authority states Avoid the appearance and reality of favoring Russia over the other republics Facilitate the prompt and safe elimination of the tactical nuclear weapons cited in Gorbachevfs October 5 announcement Rapidly enhance the security of nuclear weapons against takeover by breakaway republics breakaway units terrorists or profiteers Secure disposition for the enriched uranium and plutonium derived from eliminated Soviet weapons The former Soviet Union is collapsing and the potential for disorder within republics and hostilities between republics is high While the dominant view in republics other than Russia is to remove or eliminate the nuclear weapons on their territory there are other views and that outcome is by no means certain Some republics the Ukraine oppose the removal of nuclear weapons to Russia but have no facilities for eliminating weapons The safe transportation and dismantling of nuclear weapons and the disposition of the special nuclear material are technically demanding tasks DEDLASSIFIED IN FULL A thori E0 13 2 Rtgcords 85 Declass Div WHS Hate MAR 1 5 2015 2 Neither we nor the Soviets have substantial new resources to devote to storage or dismantling of Soviet nuclear weapons Political developments are moving ahead at a very rapid rate the dismantling of Soviet nuclear weapons will take a considerable time and even interim steps will take months or years We need a framework for managing this problem and and give us the time necessary to eliminate most Soviet nuclear weapons and get the remainder under secu control who All Soviet nuclear weapons should be under the secure control of a central collective authority The US can understand that republics will want a say in decisions on deployment modernization use etc made by the collective authority but that is for the republics and the center to decide This is without prejudice to the political relationship between republics and between republics and a new union That too is for the republics themselves to decide All issues resulting from the devolution of the Soviet Union should be settled peacefully wit threat or use of force Dw START and CPS should be ratified and implemented Consolidate Soviet tactical nuclear weapons in secure locations separate 'rom operational units Do we want this number to be big or Mb ngju n Rapidly demilitarize all Soviet weapons remove oaau_ JL tritium and store separately remove fuse and store separately etc so that capture of a storage facility does not result in capture of usable weapons Inventory and tag all Soviet weapons Establish a presence at the storage facilities of other republics the other the Assistance in the safe rapid transparent transportation and dismantling of nuclear weapons in Russia and safe and transparent disposition of the special material um DEBLASSIFIED IN FULL Authority E0 13526 Chlat Records 8 Daclass Div WHS 31% MR 1 5 2015 Soviets designate team including representatives of the center and the republics to discuss the above steps work with the same team to resolve any problems for CFE and START caused by teh devolution of the former Soviet Union - Mao-F 51 AW Questions What contingency plans should we have if one or more republics other than Russia move toward becoming independent nuclear states How should we strengthen our overall non proliferation efforts if additional nuclear states emerge among Soviet republics Although the problem of control of tactical nuclear weapons is exclusively a Soviet problem are we prepared to take any of the steps in the above tactical strawman for our own weapons scheduled for dismantling What carrots are we prepared to offer republics which decide to cooperate with this approach What sticks if they do not Annex Data on the numbers types and locations of Soviet nuclear weapons storage facilities and dismantling facilities Collect the statements of each of the republics and of the center on their policies toward nuclear weapons DECLASSIHED IN FULL thorlt E0 13526 glitch Rgcords 8 Daclass DIV WHS nate MAR 1 5 2015 APER 4 November 1991 SUBJECT Tuctmal Systems Paper U1 1- U PURPOSE - strategic forces Promde mput to NSC Tactical Systems pap - ms for I key prim-it continu fundamen' 3m 33 0 be the MIT Cturefor Hmj n Cation of STAR 8 and reducmg the strategic Proud a controlled by We should re quest that the co res mm n P pond to the President s fighter 3 33 the was take further amen we DECLASSIFIED IN FULL Authority E0 13526 Chief Records Daclass DIV WHS Eate MAR 1 5 2015 V I I 1 33de to a stable strate 9c O tl I on a whi m -M arch 0 pr Ch mdudcs bah of ICBMs and a accountable warheads on both Sides - - detenmned after the initiIll goal is 1A 41 and strategy for follow-on cm can be DEGLASSIFIED IN FULL Authority E0 13526 ohiaf Records 8 Declass MAR 1 5 2016 r H October 31 1991 g Peaceful devolution of power from the former Soviet union to republics without the threat or use of conventional or nuclear force All Soviet nuclear weapons under a single inter republic -- collective control authority with responsibility over deployment modernization dismantling use etc or all Soviet nuclear weapons Republics would be represented in the collective and have a say in all decisions No other independent nuclear authoritY states Avoid the appearance and reality of fav 9 Russia over the other republics 4 Facilitate the prompt and safe elimination of the tactical nuclear weapons Cited in Gorbachev's October 5 announcement Rapidly enhance the security of nuclear weapons against takeover by breakaway republics breakaway units terrorists or profiteers Secure disposition for the enriched uranium and plutonium deriyed from eliminated Soviet weapons - 06 aW The former viet Uni is iollapsing and the potentia ea1k%#pd for disorder within republics and hostilities between republics is high While the dominant view in republics other than Russia is to remove or eliminate the nuclear weapons on their territory there are other views and that tcome is by means certain - dgg f I Some republics the Ukraine oppose the removal of nuclear weapons to Russia but have no facilities for eliminating weapons The safe transportation and dismantling of nuclear weapons and the disposition of the special nuclear material are technically demanding tasks- DEGLASSIFIED IN FULL Augllority E013526 Chl f Records 3 Declass Div WHS rats MAR 1 5 2015' m- I 2 Neither we nor the Soviets have substantial new resources to devote to storage or dismantling of Soviet nuclear weapons Political developments are moving ahead at a very rapid rate the dismantling of Soviet nuclear weapons will take a considerable time and even interim steps will take months or years We need a framework for managing this problem and an ivet the ti necessary to eliminate most Soviet nuclear eapons an get the remainder under secure central control I a - All Soviet nuclear weapons should be under the secur A control of a central collective authority a 9% The US can understand that republics will want a say in decisions on deployment modernization use etc made 5 by the collective authority but theH s for the republics and the center to decide Veg 77 15 Mp This is without prejudice to the political relationship between republics and between republics and a new union That too is for the republics themselves to decide A i 2 we All issues resulting from the devolution of the Soviet 6 Union should be settled peacefully with t2rear or use of force I 4 START and CFE should be ratified and implemented prompt ir 4- W mu m Consolidate Soviet tactical nuclear weapons in secure 43 ck f0 locations separate from operational units Do we want this number to be big or small a I 7 Rapidlydemilitarize all Soviet weapons remove 78 tritium and store separately remove fuse and store separately etc so that capture of a storage facil does not result in capture of usable'weapons Inventory and tag all Soviet weapons Establish a presence at the storage-facilitiesbf other republics the other the 111 Assistance in the safe rapid transparent 'tfa n sportation and dismantling of nuclear weapons in Russia and safe and - transparent disposition of_the special material 5m DEGLASSIFIEDIN run Auglmrity E013526 Chl f Records 8 Declass Div WHS MAR 1 5 201a 3 5 fH$v41 4 745 Mm o MA 2 7657% 94 45 32 4g 6-5 s 5 4-1 4 figg a r 312 2 a a I - Ezra g 6 Soviets designate team including representatives of the center and the republics to discuss the above steps 0 work with the same team to resolve any problems for CPR and SIART caused by devolution of the former Soviet Union 7 Dnestimu what contingency plans should we have if one or more republics other than Russia move toward becoming independent nuclear states How should we strengthen our overall non-proliferation efforts if additional nuclear states emerge among Soviet republics 0 Although the problem of control of tactical nuclear weapons is exclusively a Soviet problem are we prepared to take any of the steps in the above tactical strawman for our own weapons scheduled for dismantling what carrots are we prepared to offer republics which decide to cooperate with this approach What sticks if they do not'd t bn the numbers types and locations of Soviet nuclear weapons storage facilities and dismantling o- Collect the statements of each of the republics and of the center on their policies toward nuclear weapons Autllorit - Chlef Rgc'urd s Daclass MAR 1 5 2015