https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/ebb1a211a96fd129a81b9889458a15af.pdf e077a4a023c7ba5137e1569039b4cb2b PDF Text Text Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act ■ Document divulge en vertu de la Loi surl’acces a /’information EXT. 105 DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINUTE SECURITY GRADING TOP SECRET ON Risksand Scales of Air Attach Against North America April 24, 1953. Insert particulars of despatch, memorandum or other attached document. G. Ignat ieff/lM DATE INITIALS OF AUTHOR CIRCULATION The Ami Bob Cameron of the Department came to tell me of the conclusions reached at the joint Canada-United States Conference on the risks and scales of air attack against North America in the period 1953-1954, which is being conducted in a working group of the JICs of the two countries. 2. He said that the main conclusion of this Conference 3. The Conference is aware that the Soviet Union was that there was no evidence that there was any serious . risk of an air attack against North America in this period. The Soviet Union is believed to.have only the TU4 medium • bomber available in any quantity as carriers. The combat radius of this aircraft is estimated at 1700 miles. Therefore this aircraft would not be able to reach important targets in the United States, except possibly in the northwest portion of the State of Washington and return to its base in the Soviet Union. The combat radius of this aircraft could be extended if the Soviets had developed an air refuelling technique such as is used by the USAF. There is no evidence that, such a technique has been developed. Therefore the scale of attack which could be expected in the event of general war would amount to isolated attacks by TU4s, probably carrying atomic weapons which would be sacrificed and would not return to their base. The purpose of such attacks would be presumably to disrupt mobilization in the United States and for its psychological effect. The estimate of the number of atomic weapons available to the Soviet Union during the year 1953-1954 has been set at one hundred to two hundred, but it is admitted that this is only a very rough estimate. has a long-range bomber, a T31, in the research and development stage. A model of this aircraft was seen at an air show in Moscow two years ago. There is no evidence that this aircraft is in quantity production yet. The Conference assume that by 1957 this aircraft may be in quantity production and that the Soviet Union will then have heavy bombers capable of carrying atomic weapons and with a range which would enable them to undertake two-way missions. Cameron underlined, however, that there was no evidence that the T31 was yet in production and that this estimate was based on hypothesis only. If evidence were forthcoming that a heavy long-range bomber were in quantity production, then the risk of attack on a substantial scale against North America would become a serious factor in defence planning. There is no such evidence available yet. The conclusions of this Conference will be referred 4. to the respective JICs in Canada and the United States, and if approved, will be regarded as a joint appreciation of the risks and scale of air attack against North America for 1953-1954. Pwvka~~© P— ) G.I. THIS MINUTE TO BE STAPLED TO, AND FILED WITH, THE DOCUMENT TO WHICH IT REFERS, UNDER THE DATE OF THE DOCUMENT. / 00250 � 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/. Title A name given to the resource CDNW (Wiser) 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/. Title A name given to the resource CDNW16835 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDNW16835 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wiser Consultations, RG25-B-2, Volume number: 3095, Library and Archives Canada.