ll f D ECRE RECEIVED ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WASHINGTON D C 20301 z0 2 a oci 1g69 OFnC Of THE SECREURY Of DEFENSE SYSTIMS ANALYSIS I MEMORANDUM FOR SECRm ARY OF DEFENSE - SUBJECT Attached to a memorandum of December 21 1967 subject as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff forwarded a study by the Studies Group on strategic nuclear targeting of China which we they perform In a memorandum of January 19 1968 subject as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff noted the results of the JCS Study of Strategic Nuclear Targeting of Communist China U above the JCS Special requested above the study o The targeting options in the SIOP are not consistent with a number of the lower intensity attack options we would like to have for China We asked the JCS to perform the study of China targeting to obtain a wide variety of targeting options for China upon Which operational plans could be based The study gives a large amount of data about civilian fatalities and the percentages of different types of industry Which could be destroyed in attacks of varying intensity It does not however develop specific target lists and methods of attack which are related to specific attack strategies of interest I believe therefore that we should suggest to the JCS that they develop these target lists for different options and begin considering the details of the attacks o' ' The enclosed memorandum for the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff covers the above issue and I recommend that you sign it Mr Warnke concurs Enclosure Alt l I hcven Assistant Secretary ot DECLASSIFIED Defe BY fMr DATE 2J f t f F ------ ' ' o o - o o o _ o oo6 ' k - oI -- ------ ' ' - I - 'o o - -o o 4 'o A' - r t o o r I ol ' ' o o - -o o - o l - 01 -lo-- ' o - -O t r-o- 'Vo' v o o l I t SE6REf 'l 6124 X-- --------------- o ts - _ s - - lr o o Wr SECR T -- ---------------------- t GRET o o THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WASHINGTON O C 20301 2 5 OCT 1968 MEMORANDUM FOR CHAIBMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF SUBJECT _ -- Study of Strategic Nuclear Targeting of Communist China U I appreciate your efforts in performing the study on strategic nuclear targeting of China which was forwarded with your memorandum of 21 December 1967 and reviewed in your memorandum of 19 January 1968 My staff has discussed this study at length with the Joint Staff during the last year I believe that consideration of the questions addressed by the study represents a significant first step towards our having a wide range of options for targeting China I also believe that the conclusions 1 that it is not practical to target for a large percentage of fatalities in China and 2 that high levels of damage can be achieved on military and industrial targets with very low levels of fatalities - are both important 'o The study suggests further work in two areas The first is determining specific target lists and the general method of attacking targets on each list which would be consistent with attack strategies for China ranging from selective attacks on government military or industrial targets to large-scale counter-military and counter-value attacks o In obtaining the particular target lists criteria for assigning values to military and civilian targets would be needed The criteria for the civilian targets should be based on an analysis of the Chinese economy The level of detail in the target planning would depend on our data base on China I understand the Defense Intelligence Agency is now improving the data base on Chinese population and industry o The second area for further work is consideration of the details of placing weapons on the specific targets under the various attack options These details would include the particular weapons carrier to attack the target the route the carrier should take the defense suppressi on needed o of operational plans for impleetc This consideration would lead to a set menting the various attack options for China I would appreciate your informing me by November 15 1968 of your plans for further effort in the two areas mentioned above DIJYI' Gn DED AT 3 YEAE Ili'lEP 'ALS 12 EARS DOD DIR 5200 1Q DECLASSiFIED BY P trt DATE f b jl G F a DE LASSlFIED AFTE -- - -- - SECRET 6124 Sec De Cont llr X---------------- - 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