DECLASSIFIED AUG· 1 6 2006 Aµthority 12958 as amended · Cbief Oaclas$ Br Dir Rec WHS - e o ·TS-0136 AP-3 MEMO DUH FOR THE DIREC'fOR J-3 SUBJECT 11 OCT 1eG OPERAl'J ONS Concept PlRn to Pltysically ' 'est US Military Re adinessWorldwide 1 DIA and NSA r prescntntives met this morning to coordinate op rations necessary for'support of the subject plan The ensuing discussion leads us to request that very serious conside ration be given to ca_ncellati o of Exercise High Heels scheduled t6 begin 14 October 2 The N t ional Security Ag ncy has a standing contingency plan for the purpose of determining Soviet ac io l to• speq f ¢ operations by US mili t ary forces This plan wni 'be 'impleinented't' in supp r of the subject• oper-ation ·It was_ never contemplar ecI however · tbat implementati m of the plan would be requir d ·during· one of th u s High lleels· · exercises - ' '•• 1 3 'rhe· volume of 'High Heels t raffi _c will cause a delay in movement of the critical nonMe ercise traffic conl aining the real intcl1 igenca we are looking for regarding Soviet reaction to our mili tary re 1d ine - · • test This volume will we believe be detect d·by the Soviets and we have no _•ay of knowing how their analysts will read or mis1 ead the traffic levels ' l'he flow of exercise traffic conflicts with the 1spect of linli tine ENCON as Cl' ' rtain U S Commands have been directed to _do It is alsu well known in the history of exercises chat one or more muesugc have been irrndverLently tr insnlilted without the p1·e crihed prefix o·r oa the wrone ci rcui t Such an i nci lel1t involvi nr a mess ii o c0ntai nint threatening ni£iterial along with Soviet obsc·rvations of acl 1 1 U S movements radio silence and standdown a tivltics could cause a h zacdou situ-ition ·'4 We believe the subject Concept Plan offers a more realisti'c test than the planned exercise' ' that_ cancellati9n 'of the exercise-- P articularly if publicly announced-- would contr f bute to the objectives of the ' 1 real operation while continuation -qould not ' tih t · t ' xerci se· would introduce substantial hazarqs anll nat ctfta'i_rui1ei t of_' · 'iiiini ry intelligence · obj cc ti vc-- detecting indicati' ns' ·that the' 11Soviilt s 'have· become ava re of the increased readiness -- ould be exl reinely diffi cufr if not lI' impossible 5 • · • In view of above it fs strongly recommended that exercise Hieh eels be cancelled ' - · ' signed G C BROWN DIAAP • I 13 October 1969 Background Paper fo r the Chair•ma Y ·JOS 1 ·ror• -a me0ting with the Secretary of Dcfen - · •' ' _ SUBJJtCT Impa·ct of Exe r c tse 'HIQH HEELS o n· pJ a n fol' Increased Re d riess Posture ' -- t · - - _ ' r f i · · _ _ 1 _ ' BACKGROUND - The intelligence community is concerned that the concui• rent execution of Exercise HIGH HEELS· _69· and the Plan for Increased Readiness Posture will have mutual ·influence and- recommends that Exe·rcise HIGH HEELS 69 be cancelled immediately Exercise dates 1 -23 October 1969 Planning for' Exercise HIGH HEELS is essentially complete Mo t Exerc Lse funds have been expended field command posts have been activated and WSEG observer•s are in place worldwide • - Execution of Exercise HIGH HEELS results in a very high volume of communications traffj_c r•eloc atlon of military headquarters worldw1 cle to emergency locattons· and a sM ft of numerous personnel from their normal loc•tions i n t q ll iat 't · ei j l - Exerc 1 se actlv Lt y' ach i lVOlnl 11 r purpouo of the Increased' Read lii 0irn ··P J ui ab t f 611s involved j_n lrrn rca 1ed Hetid1ness P lan maf' 'be cpns tl'Uecl an· e l 'i ij ie ac ti V lties • · - ' ' -t _ ' Cancella tlon of ·the Exerci se p11 1or to its _ inH i at ion or sometJ 1 1e dur lng · the Exe c lse should add to effe'ct s oi' Increased Headim1Stl Plan acti'ons 2 DISCUS ON - Poss LbJ e Courses of Actiori - ·conduct Exercise HIGH HEELS as scheduled · OSD 3 3 b - Cancel HIGH HEELS 69 immediately Postpone HIGH HEELS to a later date as si h_etluled • Con duet Exercise as Jo L t Starr e er is c wHhou t CINC ·• ' i · i i ' li part tcipa i- · _ _· - · -· IntelHgence coi lrlu r i ty • c9mpl ridat ton ·i items froin their d 1f'ficul ty in concurrently l'eai J thf the s ignal s · created frqfa d t ected s tand-do -m and that produced b v xt rcise HIGH HEELS ac_tivi ' 'Iri ad_ditiori the same analysts a1•e requir_ed for both 1 •· · · 11 · I •• • • 1 • • - Cancellation of' HIGH HEELS 69 now would cre'ate a 27-month gap between HIGH HEELS exercises The next· scheduled HIGH HEELS Exercise is in January-February 1971 in ·conj uncti·qn -with· NATO Exercise WINTB ll - If the Exercise were postponed to January much of the current effort could he used to play the Exercise at that time However a significant portJ on of required funds authorized fo r FY 70 ha ie already been expended Delay beyond January conflicts-with planning cycle for WIN'rEX71 HIGH HEELS 71 DECtASSlFIED AUG 1 6 2006 Author 1zy '·e_o 12958 as am nded Chief Oeclass Br Dir Rec WHS ·- ' ' '• ' 1 · · ' ··--· •• _ -- -• I'' ' •• - Cancellation of the Exercise subseauent to the initiation or HIGH HEEL_S play has tt1e advantage of aJ iowing the new admin i strat ton to become acquai nted with cmerge11cy dec i sion--rnald ng procc srJ0 However i t knocks out the redirection and r•eoonsL1Lution phase which has not been played in depth_ for 24 months - DIA conside r•s that termin ati on during the exercise would create a stronger signal than cancellation prior to the initio tion of Exercise play however the Soviets prqbably already know that the Exercise is underway _froaj the various -exercise actions accomplished and some signal will be a15pare rit· even if the Exercise were terminated immediately - 'Ea ly cancel 1 ation will also preclude any association between Exerc_ise ·act i ons and increased readiness posJ ure · · · - Valuable training has been gained by both the CINcs and th · Joint Staff in preparing for the Exercise Remainaer of exercise tests existing pr•ocedures and acquaJ nts hlgher authority with · the emergency de'cision-making process If at alJ possible execution of those phases of Exercise HIGH HEELS having to do with the emergency ct ion' conferences involving M ghe1 authorit1es ohould be accompJ ished 3 • H mN S ION ' - Canecl CINC par·ticipat ion Jn Exorcjsc l·II l J lJEl LS and tillU t ' 'ltaff pnl'Uc tµation to that acl i vity r•t cJllir·r 'u t o suppoi't t J-ie scheduled emc 1•e erwy action coni'crenceu dtu• lng l'hc10 e J JoinL - Alternatively if the Exercioe HIGH HEELS canccJ DECLASSIFIED AUG 1 6 2006 Authority ··-eo 12958 as am nded Chief P eclass Br Dir Rec WHS Prepa1'ed by • ·JI CHANCE ' USAF Gen Operations Div •• J-3 Ext - 53089 13 Oct 69 • _ · P J