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T O P SECRET
Copy No,
C . ( 6 o ) 1 23
1 3th September I960
9
CABINET FACILITIES FOR UNITED STATES SUBMARINES IN SCOTLAND Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence When the Cabinet last discussed this matter
(C.C*(6o) 1+8th Conclusions) they agreed in principle:­
"that facilities in the Clyde area should "be made available for United States POLARIS submarines, on the understanding that satisfactory arrangements were made as regards the extent of United Kingdom control over their operations, and that an attempt should be made to obtain access to plans and technical information which would make it possible for the United Kingdom to obtain POLARIS submarines". Trie facilities in question would consist of a depot ship (where the missiles would be stored), a floating dock and ancillary vessels; when the squadron had built up to full strength (nine submarines) there would probably be three Negotiations
submarines in the Clyde area at any one time.
with, the United States Government have now reached the state at which a definitive agreement is in sight and it is possible to consider the terms of a memorandum of understanding and a public announcement. Location 2,
Formal United States agreement is awaited to the use
of Holy Loch following a discreet reconnaissance by a team of
United States Naval officers who expressed themselves as well
satisfied with this site.
Consultation and Control 3.
The circumstances are not quite the same for
submarines refuelling from time to time in United Kingdom
waters and for United States Air Force units based on United
Kingdom airfields.
We cannot therefore expect to have the
same degree of control over all the operations of the United
States submarines as we have over United States aircraft.,
However after lengthy discussion with the United States G-overn­
ment we are within sight of an understanding which will, we
consider, be satisfactory from the point of view of public
opinion in this country.
k*
It has been agreed, and can be publicly announced,
that the deployment and use in periods of emergency of the
submarine depot ship and associated facilities should be a
matter for joint consultation: this is based on the under­
standing that either side should be permitted to have the
t e n d e r removed from t e r r i t o r i a l w a t e r s i f e i t h e r t h e
A m e r i c a n s o r o u r s e l v e s j u d g e d t h e r e was an e m e r g e n c y .
agreed formula i s i n c o r p o r a t e d in the a t t a c h e d d r a f t
announcement.
An
5.
I t has a l s o b e e n a g r e e d , and can be p u b l i c l y
a n n o u n c e d , t h a t l a u n c h i n g o f POLARIS m i s s i l e s i n U n i t e d
Kingdom t e r r i t o r i a l w a t e r s s h o u l d b e " a m a t t e r f o r j o i n t
decision".
An a g r e e d f o r m u l a i s i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t h e
a t t a c h e d d r a f t announcement,
6.
The U n i t e d S t a t e s G o v e r n m e n t h a v e o f f e r e d t h e
f o l l o w i n g p r i v a t e a s s u r a n c e on c o n t r o l o u t s i d e t e r r i t o r i a l
waters:­
"With r e f e r e n c e t o t h e l a u n c h i n g o f m i s s i l e s from
U n i t e d S t a t e s POLARIS s u b m a r i n e s o u t s i d e U n i t e d K i n g d o m
t e r r i t o r i a l waters, the United States reaffirms the
assurance given by P r e s i d e n t Eisenhower to Foreign
M i n i s t e r Eden on 9 t h March, 1 9 5 3 , t h a t i n t h e e v e n t of
an emergency^ such as i n c r e a s e d t e n s i o n or the t h r e a t
of w a r , t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s w i l l t a k e e v e r y p o s s i b l e s t e p
t o c o n s u l t w i t h B r i t a i n and o t h e r a l l i e s " .
A formula for use in public is s t i l l
We h a v e p r o p o s e d t h e f o l l o w i n g t o t h e
a s a s t a t e m e n t w h i c h c o u l d come f r o m
t h i s i s t h e b e s t we a r e l i k e l y t o g e t
use: ­
under c o n s i d e r a t i o n .
U n i t e d S t a t e s Government
their side.
We c o n s i d e r
o u t of them f o r p u b l i c
"The l a u n c h i n g of m i s s i l e s b y U n i t e d S t a t e s
s u b m a r i n e s o u t s i d e U n i t e d Kingdom t e r r i t o r i a l w a t e r s
i s i n t h e same c a t e g o r y a s t h e u s e o f n u c l e a r weapons
generally.
There can be no c e r t a i n t y t h a t c o n s u l t a t i o n
would always be p o s s i b l e i n an emergency b u t t h e U n i t e d
S t a t e s Government w i l l use t h e i r b e s t endeavours t o
c o n s u l t w i t h t h e i r B r i t i s h and o t h e r a l l i e s a s r e g a r d s
t h e u s e o f POLARIS m i s s i l e s a s w e l l a s a b o u t t h e u s e o f
n u c l e a r weapons g e n e r a l l y " .
U n i t e d Kingdom POLARIS
Submarines
7.
The U n i t e d S t a t e s a u t h o r i t i e s h a v e n o t b e e n p r e p a r e d
t o o f f e r u s a s i m p l e o p t i o n t o b u y POLARIS s u b m a r i n e s a s a
q u i d p r o q u o f o r f a c i l i t i e s we w e r e p r o v i d i n g i n H o l y L o c h ;
they have i n s i s t e d t h a t any r e f e r e n c e to such submarines should
be l i n k e d w i t h the g e n e r a l r e q u i r e m e n t s of t h e North A t l a n t i c
A l l i a n c e a n d a r e n o t p r e p a r e d a t t h e moment t o n e g o t i a t e a
p u r e l y b i l a t e r a l a r r a n g e m e n t f o r s u p p l y i n g u s w i t h POLARIS
submarines.
The r e s u l t of t h i s w o u l d n e c e s s a r i l y be t o
a s s o c i a t e o u r own r e q u i r e m e n t s w i t h t h e Medium R a n g e B a l l i s t i c
M i s s i l e scheme of t h e N o r t h A t l a n t i c A l l i a n c e and i t w o u l d
t h e r e f o r e be unacceptable to u s .
P u b l i c l y , we t h i n k i t b e t t e r
t o s a y n o t h i n g , e s p e c i a l l y s i n c e t h e r e i s l i t t l e p r o s p e c t on
f i n a n c i a l g r o u n d s of our b e i n g a b l e t o i n c l u d e t h e p u r c h a s e of
POLARIS s u b m a r i n e s i n t h e d e f e n c e b u d g e t f o r a n u m b e r o f y e a r s .
S i n c e t h e l i n k s b e t w e e n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s Navy a n d t h e R o y a l
N a v y o n t h e s e m a t t e r s a r e v e r y c l o s e , we a r e c o n f i d e n t t h a t we
c a n r e l y on c o n s u l t a t i o n and c o n t a c t t h r o u g h S e r v i c e c h a n n e l s
as a t present to provide the necessary technical c o l l a b o r a t i o n .
A s p e c i a l v i s i t i s b e i n g a r r a n g e d t o e n a b l e t h e R o y a l Navy t o
s t u d y t h e o p e r a t i o n a l and l o g i s t i c a s p e c t s of t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s
F l e e t b a l l i s t i c m i s s i l e programme a t t h e i n v i t a t i o n of t h e
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Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Admiral Dennison.
The
First Sea Lord will also aim to take these matters further during his visit later in the year. Financial Arrangements 8,
These will be the subject of detailed discussion
with other Departments concerned and with the United States
authorities.
In negotiation the United States Government
will no doubt seek financial concessions, and may cite
precedents drawn from other agreements covering shared strategic
undertakings.
But in principle we should, at any rate as an
opening gambit, seek full repayment for all facilities provided
by the Admiralty and of any other expenditure that may be
incurred in fulfilment of the American project.
For example:­
(a) for facilities provided from naval sources the Admiralty would recover full costs, as for services rendered to any other foreign government, including appropriate departmental expenses: this would cover for example the provision and laying of moorings, the supply of stores, any emergency repairs In Royal Dockyards, all works services etc.; (b) any accommodation required to be retained by the Admiralty on behalf of and before use by the United States Navy would be maintained at United States Navy cost; (c) if any works services undertaken for the United States Navy were cancelled before construction had commenced, the design costs and other preliminary disbursements would be met by the United States Navy, 9,
The United States are not likely to need much land;
it would be reasonable to offer them at the outset one exception
to the re-payment principle in respect of the purchase of any
land they may require.
This would accord with the North.
Atlantic Alliance Infrastructure practice.
Administrative Arrangements 10.
Timing.
The United States target date for
establishing their depot ship in Holy Loch is now February
1 961 ,
The floating dock would not come across until the
summer of 1 9 6 1 .
There is, therefore, time for the necessary
preparatory work and local consultation provided that a
reasonably early public announcement makes it possible to lift
the present strict security rules.
Such preparatory measures
as can be put in hand unobtrusively, including the laying of
moorings in Holy Loch, are being taken.
11 ,
Safety Organisation on the Clyde.
The Admiralty
intend to provide the necessary monitoring facilities and
suitably qualified staff and to establish an emergency organi­
sation which would come into operation in the very unlikely
event of an accident: it is planned that executive control of
this reorganisation should be vested in the Royal Navy.
It
is also planned to set up a local liaison committee following
the pattern of those established at the Atomic Energy
Authority's nuclear stations.
This committee would include
representatives of the local authorities and civil emergency
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services.
It would play an important part in educating local public opinion, and in preparing plans for dealing with the hazards associated with trie project.
The question of indemnifying Her Majesty's Government against nuclear risks will have to be discussed with the United States authorities. 12
Public Announcement.
It is proposed that a
statement should be made in Parliament on either Tuesday or
Wednesday, 2 5 t h or 2 6 t h October, and that a similar
announcement should be made in Washington by the United
States authorities at the same time.
0
13.
Conclusions and Recommendations.
colleagues to endorse We invite our (a) the terms on which it is proposed to provide facilities in the Clyde; (b) the lines of the proposed draft United Kingdom statement, for final clearance with the United States authorities; (c)
the proposed financial arrangements. H. H.W. 13th September, i 9 6 0 .
ANNEX DRAFT ANNOUNCEMENT The United States Navy have recently carried out a number of successful underwater test firings of the POLARIS missile.
The first missile firing submarine, the GEORGE WASHINGTON, will become operational before long.
It will be quickly followed by other vessels now nearing completion. A new and flexible element will thereby be added to the strategic nuclear deterrent. 2.
Clearly there would be operational advantage if
sheltered anchorage on this side of the Atlantic could be
provided for a submarine depot ship and floating dock, and
this Her Majesty's Government have undertaken to provide.
These facilities would be used by United States submarines
on routine patrol in peacetime.
The anchorage will be
provided in the Holy Loch in the Clyde and the depot ship
should be established there during February of next year,
with the floating dock to follow a little later.
Supporting
facilities will be provided by the Royal Navy.
3.
Measures will be co-ordinated by the United States Naval authorities in London and the Admiralty to govern the operation of United States submarines in peacetime so as to prevent mutual interference between United Kingdom and United States submarines and anti-submarine forces in such matters as sanctuary, routeing, arrival and departure notices. 1+.
The deployment and use in periods of emergency of the submarine depot ship and associated facilities in the United Kingdom would be a matter for joint consultation, 5.
The launching of POLARIS missiles at any time from
United States submarines in United Kingdom territorial waters
would be a matter of joint decision between the two Governments.
(Formula on control outside territorial waters to be inserted.)
6.
Under normal operating conditions no risk to health or safety will arise from the presence of these submarines, or of their weapons.
Local arrangements will include the setting up of a Liaison Committee which will ensure the fullest possible consultation with the local authorities and interests concerned. 7.
Her Majesty's Government welcome this agreement as an admirable example of co-operation between allies.
It
owes much to the close and friendly relationship which exists between the two Navies. 13th September, 1 96O0
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