https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/0dd72bdedfc67919c44bdd9c69061766.pdf 49fd69f34e51951dd2f85e97ab5b4120 PDF Text Text . \ s (1 Document disclosed underthe Access to Information Act Document divulque en vertu de la Loisurl'accesa ririformatidn DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, CANADA Sl CATIONS OUTGOING MESSAGE Fes59 2.472 / FM: CANGRSNNSYSNSS™ WISER mee -i SECRET Feb. 6 1959 WASHINGTON. D.C. PRECEDENCE NUMBER TO: SECURITY FILE DATE WISER 6l EXTERNAL OTTAWA COMCENTRE USE ONLY PRIORITY DOWNGRADED TO SECRIT REBUIT A SECRLE— LLs(NA) INFO: FEB 2 1 I®5 i Ref.: REQUEST FOR OVERFLIGHTS Subject: Apud 4 ll kMy) We have received today a letter from State Department.requesting /y the Canadian Government's approval in principle for a program involving SAC overflights during the months of March, April, May and June,in—scordanee (n&o e MksRarrangements suggested in paragraph 11 of the record of the meeting of consultation between representatives of the Canadian and United States av Governments held on Wednesday, November 19, 1958. A / You may wish to consider whether 2. request Canadian approval of this will require amendment of paragraph 2 of the Agreed Minute of June 1, 1951 and Y and Z procedures set out in schedule B of PC2307 of April 17, 1952. 3. Text of State Department letter and enclosure follows: JTEXT BEGINS (Communications please copy attached text) TEXT ENDS LOCAL DISTRIBUTION __ ____ QRTGINATOR_ S.G........... ........................................... NONE: Return to Miss Trowbridge for file DIVISION \ PHONE SIG. NAME e x t .18(Re v .12/56) APPROVED BY L S.F.Rae 000118 �Document disclosed underthe Access to Information Act DOWNGRADED TO SECREL REDIIT A SECBET LKS(M&IR) TEB 2 11985 Document divulgue envertude aloisKaccs a rinformation f ' *> DEPARTMENT OF STATE WASHINGTON 1 - ■ ' s= Osel389T _ Li L FEB 6 1953 I Dear Mr. Ambassador; I refer to arrangements for clearing flights of United States Strategic Air Command aircraft over Canadian territory where the movement of atomic weapons is involved ("XYZ Procedures”) which were established by the Canadian Government’s Order in Council— PC 2307 April 17, 1952, Annex B. The United States Air Force is at present testing a new ”; **mennpyseyal*@yesth*i operational concept for an airborne alert. Evaluation of this concept will require continuation of the test at least during the first six months of 1959. An initial test exercise was conducted during the fall of 1958 from Loring Air Force Base, Maines it involved the launching of one fully combat configured B-52 aircraft every six hours, and clearance for overflight of Canadian territory was arranged with your Government in accordance with the above referenced Procedures. Preliminary results of that test appear favorable and have indicated a requirement for more test data His Excellency A. D. P. Heeney, Appointed Ambassador of Canada* 000119 �Document disclosed underthe Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loisur l'acces a /'information DOWNGRADED TO SECRET REDUIT A SECRET ys -2- SECRET LLs(H8 i k } FEB 21 1985 data on a broader scale, and it is proposed that a variety of Strategic Air Command units be incorporated into the test program for 1959 and 1960. The present tentative schedule for the first six months of 1959 involves a total launch of 1,436 aircraft from various tstens bases, beginning in March. A more detailed explanation of the ***n *" , _ plan and a monthly/order of magnitude overflight schedule, which has been prepared by the United States Air Force, is enclosed. Not all of the aircraft involved would overfly Canada, and the exact number of flights which would do so cannot be given at this time. Consequently, clearance would not necessarily be requested for all flights. The numbers of flights shown in the enclosure, however, would not be exceeded and detailed schedules would be communicated to the Royal Canadian Air Force. All flights over Canadian territory would be of category "Y". It is hereby requested, accordingly, that approval in principle for the exercise program described in the enclosure be granted by the Canadian Government. Upon receipt of such approval, detailed monthly requests, with exact routes, would be submitted on a service-to-service basis at least thirty days in advance 3 SECRET 000120 �Document disclosed underthe Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur/'acces a information 281 SECRET 4 DOWNGRADED TO SECRET REDUIT A SECRET FEB 2 1 1985 in advance* If experience from this proposed exercise indicates that the concept is feasible and supportable, future semi-annual programs will be submitted for advance approval of the Canadian ■ .1171 m ■ r _ * Government. It will be appreciated if you will forward this request to the Canadian Government* In view of the proposed time schedule, any steps which could be taken to expedite consideration would also be appreciated* ' Sincerely yours. tlL 7 Robert Murphy < Deputy Under Secretary Enclosure: Explanation of plan and schedule. 000121 �Document disclosed underthe Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loisur l'acces a Tinformation SECRET ENCLOSURE 1. The Strategic Air Command (SAC) of the USAF makes a potent contribution to the security of North America, and the entire free world, by its strike capability and constant readiness to launch effective retaliation in an emergency. The maintenance of an adequate capability and state of readiness, in view of advancements in the military posture of the potential aggressor, has necessitated continual changes in SAC’s operational and strategic concepts. From the need to counter the compression in time and ** space of *========. — -*** * vis missile warfare, has evolved a concept of "Airborne Alert". 2. The plan for "Airborne Alert" is made possible by present day long-range aircraft, aerial refueling, constant and instantaneous communications, and perfected safety procedures for nuclear weapons. This concept is comparable to an operation from forward bases in that the combat configured aircraft are at some distance from home base, but airborne. However, the big difference lies in the fact that destruction of the aircraft per se is the only means of preventing their strike against the enemy if ordered. A gratuitous benefit is that a strike upon the-home base would not destroy any aircraft that are airborne. This system appears to offer considerable benefit in a critical period; however, continued testing is necessary to determine the feasibility from both an operational and cost view- point. 3. An initial 000122 �Document disclosed underthe Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur l'acces a /information SECRET a -2= 3. An initial Airborne Alert test exercise was conducted during the fall of 1958 from Loring Air Force Base, Maine. This test exercise involved the launching of one fully combat configured B-52 each six hours. Preliminary test results appear favorable and have indicated a requirement for more test data on a broader scale. It is proposed that a variety of SAC units be incorporated into the test program for 1959 and I960, This long-range test program is of extreme importance to the USAF in order to determine the operational feasibility of the concept. 4. The present tentative Airborne Alert test schedule for the first six months of 1959 involves a total launch of 1,436 aircraft from various bases. The proposed monthly schedule for this period is: January - 0; February - 0; March 232, April - 330; May -454; and June - 420. Firm requirements will not exceed 14 wmorer aircraft launches per day. All of these aircraft will not overfly Canada; some routes by-pass Canada completely on either the eastern or western boundary, depending upon the home base of the aircraft. 5. Approval for overflight under the existing government-to- government procedures known as XYZ will not necessarily be requested for all the aircraft. The order-of-magnitude schedule is the maximum number planned for the first six months of 1959. Within/ this program, detailed monthly requests, to include exact routes, will be SECRET 000123 �•} . Document disclosed underthe Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loisurl'accesa I'informatiqn - s SECRET ke -3will be submitted on a service-to-service basis so as to be in the hands of the RCAF at least 30 days prior to the month for which the schedule covers. 6. Favorable consideration by the Canadian Government of the Airborne Alert test schedule is requested in order to permit advanced and necessary detailed planning by the USAF. SECRET 8222 000124 � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDAC02283 Title A name given to the resource Letter to the Canadian Ambassador to the US Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 06-Feb-59 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived RG25-A-3-b, Volume number: 5911, File number: 50195-40, pt 3.3 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource LAC Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Overflight Policy Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource en