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Catalogue Reference:CAB/129/91
Image Reference:0049
O
(THIS D O C U M E N T IS T H E P R O P E R T Y OF HER B R I T A N N I C M A J E S T Y ' S G O V E R N M E N T )
COPY n:
C.(58) 49
1
24th F e b r u a r y , 1958
CABINET
I N T E R M E D I A T E R A N G E B A L L I S T I C MISSILES
Note by the M i n i s t e r of Defence
A s requested by the Cabinet on 12th F e b r u a r y
( C . C . ( 5 8 ) 16th Conclusions, Minute 5 ) , I circulate the text of
the statement which I p r o p o s e t o make in the House cn Monday,
24th F e b r u a r y , about the A g r e e m e n t with the A m e r i c a n s on
intermediate range ballistic m i s s i l e s (Annex A ) . T h i s has been
approved by the P r i m e M i n i s t e r .
2.
I attach a l s o the final text of the A g r e e m e n t with the
United States G o v e r n m e n t , which has been amended to take into
account the points at the Cabinet discussion (Annex B ) .
D.S.
M i n i s t r y of D e f e n c e , S.W.1.
22nd F e b r u a r y , 1 9 5 8
ANNEX A
DRAFT P A R L I A M E N T A R Y S T A T E M E N T TO BE MADE
3 Y T H E M I N I S T E R OF D E F E N C E
The House w i l l r e c a l l that at.the meeting in Bermuda
last March- the P r i m e M i n i s t e r and P r e s i d e n t Eisenhower a g r e e d in
principle that certain guided m i s s i l e s would be made available by
the United States f o r deployment in B r i t a i n .
2.
T h i s was followed by technical studies by the m i l i t a r y and
scientific staffs of the two countries. T h e s e studies having now been
completed, H e r M a j e s c y s G o v e r n m e n t and the G o v e r n m e n t of the
United States have concluded an A g r e e m e n t , setting out the a r r a n g e m e n t s
f o r the supply and deployment of these weapons.
!
3.
The m i s s i l e s w i l l be manned and operated by units of the
Royal A i r F o r c e .
4.
The A g r e e m e n t p r o v i d e s that the m i s s i l e s shall not be
launched except by a joint positive decision of both G o v e r n m e n t s .
5.
The nuclear warheads w i l l r e m a i n in A m e r i c a n custody and
w i l l be kept in an unarmed condition so that t h e r e can be no r i s k o f a
nuclear explosion; and the weapon is designed in such a way that it
would be i m p o s s i b l e for it to be launched accidentally.
6,
The United States will supply the m i s s i l e s and s p e c i a l i s e d
equipment at their expense and will a l s o pay for the training of B r i t i s h
personnel in A m e r i c a . B r i t a i n w i l l meet the cost of providing and
constructing the sites and supplying certain items of equipment. The
B r i t i s h share of this expenditure is estimated at about £10 m i l l i o n s
spread o v e r two y e a r s .
7.
The m i s s i l e s w i l l be deployed in s m a l l numbers on d i s p e r s e d
s i t e s , m o s t l y on a c t i v e or disused R . A . F . a i r f i e l d s . T h e s e sites should
be mainly in East A n g l i a , L i n c o l n s h i r e and Y o r k s h i r e . It would
obviously not be in the public interest to d i s c l o s e the number of m i s s i l e s ,
or the number of sites or t h e i r p r e c i s e location.
8.
The text of the A g r e e m e n t is available as a White P a p e r in
the Vote Office.
ANNEX
B
MEMORANDUM
1. The Government of the United States shall supply to the Government of
the United Kingdom an agreed number of intermediate range ballistic missiles and
their related specialised equipment and make available training assistance in order
to facilitate the deployment by the Government of the United Kingdom of the said
missiles. The missiles shall be located only in the United Kingdom at such sites
and under such conditions as may be agreed upon between the two Governments.
2. The United Kingdom Government shall provide the sites and supporting
facilities required for the deployment of the missiles.
3. Ownership of the missiles and related equipment shall pass to the United
Kingdom Government under established United States Mutual Assistance Program
procedures as soon as the United Kingdom Government is in a position to man and
operate the missiles.
4. The missiles will be manned and operated by United Kingdom personnel,
who will be trained by the United States Government, for the purposes of this
project at the earliest feasible date.
5. For the purposes of this Agreement, training and test-firing of missiles will
normally take place on United States instrumented ranges but by agreement with
the United States Government the United Kingdom Government may arrange
with the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia for missiles to be
test-fired on the Woomera Range in Australia.
6. Material, equipment, and training provided by the United States
Government to the United Kingdom Government pursuant to the arrangements
recorded herein will be furnished pursuant to the United States Mutual Security
Act of 1954, as amended, acts amendatory or supplementary thereto,
appropriations acts thereunder or any other applicable United States legislative
provisions.
7. The decision to launch these missiles will be a matter for joint decision
by the two Governments. Any such joint decision will be made in the light of the
circumstances at the time and having regard to the undertaking the two
Governments have assumed in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
8. References to intermediate range ballistic missiles in this Agreement do
not include the nuclear warheads for such missiles. The United States Government
shall provide nuclear warheads for the missiles transferred to the United Kingdom
Government pursuant to this Agreement. All nuclear warheads so provided shall
remain in full United States ownership, custody and control in accordance with
United States law.
9. The arrangements recorded herein are made in consonance with the North
Atlantic Treaty and in pursuance of the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement
between the United Kingdom Government and the United States Government,
signed January 27, 1950, as supplemented, and related agreements, and are subject
to the applicable provisions thereof.
10. This Agreement shall be subject to revision by agreement between the two
Governments and shall remain in force for not less than five years from the date
of the Agreement but may thereafter be terminated by either Government upon
six months' notice.
Washington, February 22, 1958.
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