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The Defence Planning Committee of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization met in Ministerial Session in Brussels
on 13th and 14th May 1980. Foreign Ministers of countries
participating in the integrated military structure of the
Alliance took part in the Session of 14th May. In
appreciation of the important contribution made by the
Federal Republic of Germany to Allied defence and
co-operation, Ministers drew attention to the 25th
anniversary of its accession to NATO on 6th May 1955.
- Ministers carried out their discussions against a
background of the major strategic issues facing the
Alliance in the light of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
and the implications of that action for stability in South
West Asia. Foreign Ministers looked forward to a full
discussion of the political aspects of these developments
at the forthcoming Ministerial meeting of the North
Atlantic Council in Ankara.
- Ministers expressed their concern that for the first
time in the post-war era the Soviet Union had used military
force to impose its will on a non-aligned country of the
Third World and in a way which affected the overall
strategic situation. Ministers denounced this use of force
which jeopardises international peace and stability and
strikes at the principles of the United Nations' Charter,
and called for the total and immediate withdrawal of all
Soviet forces from Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan
must be free to shape their future without outside
interference.
- Ministers expressed the hope that the Soviet Union
would re-establish the conditions for more positive and
productive East-West relations. They stressed their
readiness to continue the search for progress in the field
of arms control and disarmament on the basis of realistic
balanced and verifiable measures. They reaffirmed their
support for the SALT II Treaty as a major contribution to
détente and to security and looked forward to its early
ratification. Ministers recalled the wide range of
initiatives particularly in the field of confidence
building and arms control contained in the communiqués of
12th and 14th December 1979 and designed to improve mutual
security and co-operation in Europe. They appealed to the
members of the Warsaw Pact to make their contribution
towards this goal and to respond positively to these
Western proposals. At the same time, in the present
circumstances, Ministers underlined the continuing need to
maintain and strengthen the Alliance's defence posture in
the interests of deterrence.
- Ministers further agreed that the stability of regions
outside NATO boundaries, particularly in the South West
Asia area, and the secure supply of essential commodities
from this area are of crucial importance. Therefore, the
current situation has serious implications for the security
of member countries. The altered strategic situation in
South West Asia warrants full solidarity and the
strengthening of Allied cohesion as a response to the new
challenges. Ministers recognised that maintenance of the
special relationships of Allies with the regional countries
are in the interests of the West as well as of the
countries of the region.
- It is in the interests of members of the Alliance that
countries which are in a position to do so should use their
best efforts to help achieve peace and stability in South
West Asia, taking into consideration the interests of the
regional countries and the value of their political
co-operation. The burden, particularly in so far as defence
measures are concerned, falls largely upon the United
States, which has already taken steps to enhance its
effectiveness. Ministers noted that this commitment, which
in certain circumstances might substantially increase,
could place additional responsibilities on all Allies for
maintaining levels and standards of forces necessary for
defence and deterrence in the NATO area. Ministers agreed
on the need for ensuring that at the same time as the
United States carries out the efforts to strengthen defence
capabilities for South West Asia described above, Allied
capabilities to deter aggression and to defend NATO Europe
are also maintained and strengthened.
- In discussing the effect of recent events on the NATO
area, Ministers agreed that there was no sign of any
relaxation in the efforts being undertaken by the
Warsaw Pact and, in particular, the Soviet Union to
increase substantially the quality and readiness of their
forces. Despite a slowdown in economic growth and
increasing difficulties in the energy sector, Soviet
defence expenditure still amounted to 11 to 13% of its GDP,
and continued to receive top priority despite the needs of
the civil economy.
- Ministers pledged themselves to increase their efforts
to improve the capabilities of the full spectrum of forces
committed to the Alliance. They received the assurance of
the United States Secretaries of State and Defense that the
security of the NATO area remains central to United States
policy. and they noted that the United States has no plans
to withdraw any United States forces permanently stationed
in Europe for use in South West Asia. Ministers of other
countries agreed to do their utmost to meet additional
burdens for NATO security which could result from
the increased United States responsibilities in South West
Asia.
- As an expression of their willingness to respond to the
needs of the present situation, Ministers agreed upon a
number of near-term defence measures to be undertaken by
individual countries. Action would represent earlier or
augmented implementation of urgently required defence
measures designed to improve force capabilities in the NATO
area. These measures are derived largely from existing
national plans and based on comprehensive Alliance defence
planning.
- Ministers also called for a report, for the December
1980 Defence Planning Committee meeting, establishing again
on a country-by-country basis further specific measures for
prompt or accelerated implementation. In the main, these
would also be selected from current defence programmes;
they would take account of the evolution of the
international situation in general and of the situation in
South West Asia in particular, and of the possible effects
of this situation on the reinforcements available for the
defence of the NATO area. Areas suitable for consideration
would include readiness, reserve mobilization, war reserve
munitions and materiel, maritime defence, airlift
enhancement, support by nations of reinforcing forces,
military assistance to Portugal and Turkey and the NATO
Infrastructure Programme.
- Ministers agreed that the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan and its implications for international
stability including in South West Asia made it more than
ever necessary to maintain solidarity, cohesion and
undiminished strength throughout the Alliance. These
developments also brought more sharply into focus the
strategic importance of the Mediterranean area and the
pressing need for strengthening the economic and defence
postures of member countries on the Southern Flank.
- Ministers also discussed a number of issues related
principally to the continuation and implementation of
current NATO defence plans designed to maintain the
credibility of the Alliance's deterrence and defence
posture.
- They discussed the status of the Long-Term Defence
Programme and approved recommendations designed to ensure
steady progress in a number of key areas. These areas
included certain readiness and reserve mobilization
measures, a number of maritime equipment projects, the
provision of electronic warfare units and war reserve
stocks.
- Ministers once more reviewed the serious economic
difficulties of Portugal and Turkey. Their effect on the
defence capabilities of both nations, but in particular of
Turkey, continues to give grave concern. Problems and
possible remedies were identified and highlighted. Noting
that satisfactory progress has not been made up to now,
Ministers agreed that Allied military assistance needs to
be intensified and accelerated to meet the critical
requirements in a timely way. In this respect they welcomed
the decision of Germany further to increase its already
substantial aid programme for Turkey. To strengthen the
Alliance's maritime posture, particularly in the field of
anti-submarine warfare, Ministers also supported the
Portuguese Government in its plans to acquire three modern
frigates and agreed to consider the best ways to provide
assistance for them.
- Ministers welcomed the evidence of closer
collaboration amongst member nations in defence equipment
matters as reported by the Conference of National Armaments
Directors. They noted with satisfaction that the NATO
Armaments Planning Review is already providing a useful
means of identifying opportunities for co-operative
development and production of equipment and for improving
interoperability, and that the trial of the Periodic
Armaments Planning System is proceeding well. They welcomed
the progress being made towards ammunition
interchangeability and the establishment of several new
project groups for future equipment, including
air-delivered missiles and a frigate replacement.
- Ministers noted with interest the greater emphasis
being placed on transatlantic co-operation in the
development of families of weapons. In this respect they
welcomed the progress being made in the field of
third-generation anti-tank weapons and air-to-air missiles
and the prospects for a family of maritime mines. They
encouraged the search for greater use of new technology,
including that now available in the Commercial sphere, for
application to systems which will enhance the effectiveness
of NATO defence including that of members of the Alliance
which are less industrialised. To safeguard the military
advantages accruing to NATO from the application of
advanced technology, Ministers considered that close
attention should be given to the implementation of trade
control provisions, so that Soviet forces cannot benefit
from the transfer of any technology which would enable them
to modernize their forces more quickly and at lower cost.
- Ministers received a statement by Dr. Hans Apel,
German Defence Minister and Chairman of the Eurogroup. They
reaffirmed their support for the continuing work of the
Eurogroup aimed at strengthening the cohesion of the
Alliance and at making the European contributions to
collective security as effective as possible. They welcomed
the determination of Eurogroup members to continue steady
and sustained force modernization; and to ensure that
resources available for defence are used to maximum
advantage through co-operation and collaboration in
practical fields of activity. In this connection they noted
the continuing progress in the fields of logistics,
training, communications, equipment co-operation, force
structures and medical co-operation.
- Ministers noted that the NATO Military Commanders had
presented a case for an augmentation and acceleration of
the current five-year 1980-1984 NATO Infrastructure
Programme and agreed to consider a more substantive report
at their December 1980 meeting.
- Ministers endorsed a new procedure to extend NATO's
defence planning progressively into a longer timeframe,
with the goal of achieving closer co-ordination at both the
national and international level in setting Alliance
objectives and in allocating resources for defence.
- Ministers recalled their decision of 12th December
1979 to pursue the two parallel and complementary
approaches on long-range theatre nuclear force (TNF)
modernization and on arms control involving TNF, and took
note of the progress report on the proceedings of the
Special Consultative Group on Arms Control involving TNF.
Ministers expressed support for the repeated efforts of the
United States to engage the Soviet Union in serious
negotiations aimed at achieving verifiable limitations on
Soviet and United States land-based long-range TNF
consistent with the principle of equality between the
sides. This offer was first made following the December TNF
decision and was repeated by the United States Secretary
of State on 4th April 1980. Ministers regretted that the
Soviet Union has in response reiterated its rejection of
the offer to conduct serious negotiations and is instead
advancing conditions which would perpetuate inequality. The
Soviet Union has until now posed unacceptable
pre-conditions for negotiations, and is continuing the
process of deploying SS-20 missiles at a rapid pace.
Ministers therefore called on the Soviet Union to respond
positively and to accept without delay the United States'
offer to negotiate.
- Ministers expressed their concern about the Soviet
superiority in long-range TNF systems. They recognised that
the continuing deployment of new Soviet long-range TNF
systems, particularly of the SS-20 missile, further
increased the already existing disparity in long-range TNF
in favour of the Soviet Union. They noted that the
Alliance's long-range TNF modernization programme, in which
an initial operational capability for modern long-range TNF
in Europe is anticipated towards the end of 1983, is a
deliberately restrained one compared with the qualitative
and quantitative growth in Soviet nuclear capabilities
facing the Alliance which has already taken place and is
continuing. The Soviet Union is already in the process of
deploying for its SS-20's alone more warheads than will be
involved in the entire Alliance modernization programme.
Ministers reiterated that the scale of NATO's long-range
TNF requirements will be examined in the light of concrete
results achieved through negotiations.
- Ministers recalled that it was decided at the December
1979 meeting that 1.000 United States nuclear warheads
should be withdrawn from Europe as an integral part of the
decision to modernize TNF without increasing NATO's
reliance on nuclear weapons, and to pursue arms control
involving TNF. They noted that this withdrawal has begun,
as has implementation of other parts of the December
decision.
- Ministers took note of the present state of
negotiations on Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions. They
urged Eastern participants to make a positive response to
the recent Western proposals for an interim Phase I
agreement, and for a package of associated measures which
forms an integral part of the interim agreement proposal.
- Ministers concluded their meeting by endorsing NATO
force goals for the period 1981-1986 established on their
behalf by the Defence Planning Committee in Permanent
Session. There was full recognition that in view of the
current imbalance between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces,
implementation of these force goals would represent a major
factor in the maintenance of adequate Alliance defence.
- Accordingly Ministers pledged themselves to preserve
and strengthen the military capabilities of the Alliance.
They reaffirmed the importance of member countries
achieving and sustaining the aim, endorsed by Heads of
State and Government, of increases in annual defence
expenditures in real terms in the region of 3%. They
expressed their confidence that those countries who have
not yet been able to meet this goal will make every effort
to do so.
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