DECLASSIFIED Authorityppo 20952FOREIGN DISSEM gym 6 KEEPARTMENT OF STATE at DIRECTOR OF ENTELLIGENCE AND RESEARCH To The Secretary Through s s MAY 2 0 1965 From INR - Thomas L Hughes mi Subject Swedish Military Chief Seeks Appropriation for Nuclear Weapons in Next Budget General Torsten Rapp Supreme Commander of the Swedish Defense Forces and a recent visitor to washington is reported to have asked the Swedish Government for authorization to include the cost of acquisition of nuclear weapons in the next defense budget presumably for 1966 67 The request is the latest move in a propaganda campaign of the military and is based on the argument that such weapons are necessary if Swedish defenses are to remain strong enough to deter incursions which would violate Sweden's traditional policy of armed neutrality Chances for Immediate Action are Slim The leaders of the four noncommunist parties have not permitted the issue of nuclear weapons to come to a decisive vote in parliament both because of widespread opposition to acquisition within the ruling Social Democratic Party and the two center parties and because of hope that international agreements stopping nuclear weapons testing and controlling the manufacture and use of such weapons would remove the necessity for any Swedish action The Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963 increased such hopes and Rapp's chances of forcing a positive decision under present circumstances are therefore slim Question Likely to Remain Qpen and Weapons Research May Increase at the same time the government is likely to continue to keep open its option of taking 4 GEGUE 5 howngraded at 18 year intervals not no automatically declaes1iied SECRET lac FOREIGN DISSEM DECLASSIFIED - Authority 9 20 95 1 1 SECRET FOREIGN DISSEM 4 - 2 when it deems it necessary and there are indications that Rapp may have succeeded in getting the currently limited research program on nuclear weapons expanded Just prior to his washington visit and while in washington Rapp made statements favoring such an increase so that the time required for future weapons development could be cut from an estimated 7 to 3 or years Recent statements by Prime Minister Tage Erlander in parliament and by a high defense official in private indicated that research probably has been increased although to what extent is not known SECRET FOREIGN DISSEM DEC LASSIF IED 709$ I 7 4 - VINR SPECIAI DISTRIBUTION LIST - r 'des the distribution of Intelligence Notes and adVance distribution of Research Memoranda The producing office are two copies of this list and attach them to each IN- 0 RM forwarded for the Director s Signature - AUTOMATIC A KW 7 74 jrS Sfor 7' I f- 5' 2_ 3-l- PX - 'Greenfield 29 - I r i Iz i 6 C' cke I RCI 7467 7 we 7% 25 INR Producing Office - oi aouAL I if - A - Ros row 33 - i Meeke 1 H Information Only -AF _-wi icms - 5 5 fLindIey Transmitted I m outside VOUghn War s pM - Kitchen 5 5 gig EUR-- Davis I Jorden FE Isundy - ARA - criminal NEA -T aIboI AID Bell of Io' I-cIeveIand'ga Vi ACBA gEosrer 360 CU 1 Hummel - Rowan I E - I - Shriver coumesw NSC - Debevoise Check for distribution unless There is specific obiec rion Explain obiection i below I IL 1 CIA McConeagVac ow DIA - Carroll I JCS Wheeler I BOB -Amory4 _ FOR use IN DATE AND TOPIC swe ig fegjflaltar NUMBER OF COPIES I - avid E a 5 20 65 DATE OF DISTRIBUTION Office DirectoF ' Dafe For RMS this list governs advance distribution only additional copies will go to those agencies only if so indicated on standard RM distribution form Internal Distribution by Producing Office should be listed on the back of this form