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1553273
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October 15, 1975 - Ford, Schlesinger
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1553273
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document
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October 15, 1975 - Ford, Schlesinger
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Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)
Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations
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Federal budget
National security
Warships
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1975-10-15
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10
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1975
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15
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1975-10-15
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10
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1975
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File scanned from the National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Conversation Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
PARTICIPANTS:
President Ford
Hon. James R. Schlesinger, Secretary of Defense
Lt. General Bren Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant to
the President for National Security Affairs.
DATE AND TIME:
October 15, 1975
5:00 - 5:30 p.m.
PLACE:
The Oval Office
President: Are you planning to reclama on ALCM and MX?
Schlesinger: Yes. We will on both of them. Our problem on the Senate
side is McClellan is running a little scared of Muskie and the budget
committee.
President: I guess you want to talk about budget guidlines for '77.
Schlesinger: Yes. First Jim Lynis paper. It is off by 5.9 billion.
They have eliminated 2.5 billion of inflation. They used 4% inflator-- --
we think it is really 7.5%. The pay cap assumption is OK except for
wage board and retired. They assume away a part of the MAP program.
These add up to 5.9 billion.
They say 110. The Service request is 122. Both are TOA. Splitting
the difference would give you what they say is their program -- 116. We
had regionally had 116 TOA and 104 outlay. We can cut that to 102 in
outlay in cuts already taken. Lynn wants 98. We can get 100 or 101
without tearing up the five-year plan
Our concern is TOA; I understand yours is outlay. If you will give me the
flexibility to stay around 116 TOA, we will try to control outlays -- by
prespending, etc. -- to numbers you can live with.
President: It is going to be tough to get the 28 billion. As I recall
Lynn's figures, they go from 128 to 108. I want you to undertake an
exercise at 107 and 97.
GERALD
DECLASSIFIED
E.O. 12356, Sec. 3.4
MR92-15 #21 NSC ltc. 2/24/94
SECRET - XGDS (3)
By KBH NARA, Date 6/23/94
CLASSIFIED BY: HENRY A. KISSINGER
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
2
Schlesinger: We'll have to tear up the five-year program.
President: Congress has already done a good job at that. 116 and 104
is completely unrealistic. Go through the exercise at 107 and 97 so I
can see what the figures are. You can do one alternative at 110 and one
at 99. We are deadly serious about this program, and I want to see what
DOD can do.
Schlesinger: Are you concerned about TOA or outlay? I can do the outlay
without tearing up the program.
President: Outlay is the chief one, but I am realistic enough to know that
TOA turns into outlays in future years. So I want to see what you can give
me.
Schlesinger: It is late in the year because service submissions are all in.
President: True. But it the same in all departments.
Schlesinger: But they are not playing with 3 million men. The others'
problems are simpler.
President: The other departments all say the same thing. When I had
you and Henry here the other day I gave you an indication of the problem.
We've got a helluva job, but I am serious about making it. You show me
what you would give up and what add-ons you would have if you went to
110 and 99.
Schlesinger: The program will hrink about 7% in real terms from last
year.
President: But you have saved the Vietnam portion, so that isn't accurate.
Schlesinger: Military assistance hasn't gone down by the exten of Vietnam
savings.
President: It's got to be cut too. Everything will be hit.
Schlesinger: Shipbuilding will be especially hard hit. We will have to take
down the force structure.
President: What is this I read about the Air For ce taking over operations
so we could cut down carrier forces?
Schlesinger: That is a John Finney invention based on the fact that the aircraft
can fly longer.
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
3
President: Is there something to it, or just Finney?
Schlesinger: It is a Finney exaggeration. We have been looking at moving
aircraft rapidly to different bases for employment, but it has not impacted
the carrier force.
President: I also read something about smaller subs in place of Trident.
Schlesinger: We proposed a smaller sub with 16 tubes as an arms control
matter if the Soviets would restrain throw weight. We would not do it now
because we have had no response from the Soviet Union. We are going
ahead with a 10 boat Trident program. After that, we don't save much by
going to the Narwhal sub. We would have replaced Poseidon with it, not
Trident. The 10 Trident are to replace Polaris.
President: If you went to the small boat, how soon could you produce?
Schlesinger: By the early 80's assuming we could overcome the Rickover
problem.
2
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