https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/2a57c91464c99013ce74b9e45855629d.pdf 889bbe44bf2a37ad825318b573e81413 PDF Text Text «r . 'TO ERNAL AFFAIRS D« L. (1) Division Document disclosed under the /lecess to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur I'acces a I'information AFFAIRES EXTERIEURES SECURITY SECRET SfcuHU FROM European Division REFERENCE lOUT memorandum of October 28 DATE November 3* 1966 NUMBER Num.ro DOSSIER SUBJECT Anti-BaUistic Missiles *^7~//' 7 MISSION ENCIOSURES DISTIf»UTtON v-.Robinson p. Collins ar Eastern Div isarmament Div •.L.(2) Div .. & ME With your memorandum under reference you asked for our comments on the attached copy of an anti-ballistic missile briefing given to the recent meeting of the Canada-United States PJBD by the United States representatives* This is an interesting but difficult paper which, as you point out, touches on a wide range of the problems relevant to Canadian foreign policy. We have not attempted to prepare a comprehensive commentary but the following comments aire intended to focus attention on what seem to us to be some of the main elements of the paper* 2» First, the implication of the section, on "the ABM and the U.S.-Soviet balance of deterrence" seems to be. that there are no compelling arguments for the time being at least in favour of a decision to deploy an ABM system against the USSR. ifjSts.yLs suggested at the beginning of this section, the ABM does not offer the prospects of "perfect defence", it is reasonable to conclude, in the absence of other factors which could'outweigh this consideration, that the "Balance of deterrence" will continue to depend primarily on the bEilance of strategic offensive capabilities. This conclusion is not substantially affected by the answers offered to any of the four key questions examined in this section, and seems to us to accord with the politics^;ahd military facts of U.S.-Soviet relations as we know them, • --** '.: ,.'• 3« Secondly, there is a further question that seems to us relevant to this section of the paper but which is not asked, explicitly at least. That is, whether in the present circumstances the so-called "balance of deterrence" really rests on anything approaching an equal balance of strategic capabilities or rather on a safe margin of United States strategic superiority. This, question is also relevant to the subject ...2 Ext. 4 0 7 A / M . (Admin. Services Div.) 000091 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgu^efnrertu de la Loi sur I'acces a I'information - 2 - examined in the later section on "Soviet thinking on implications on ABM deployment". In other words, is it not possible that the Soviet emphasis on strategic air defence is at least partly explained by their acceptance of the inevitability of a certain margin of United States strategic superiority? U. Thirdly, the implication of the section on "the ABM and Communist China" seems to be that on balance there would be advantage in developing what is called a "light" ABM defence against Communist China. This, in spite of the fact that the three basic considerations examined under the heading "the Chicom nuclear threat to the U.S." do not substantially affect the conclusion mentioned above in connection with the USSR, that the "balance of deterrence" will continue to rely on the balance of strategic offensive capabilities. What seems to determine the different conclusion reached in the case of Communist China is an element that is not openly mentioned, namely that in the case of the USSR the basic assump£I«rbn both sides is that the other side wishes to avoid a direct~"arme3 conflict, whereas in the case of Communist China this assumption is not made. '7 lfiki7740<7Xt^ European Division 000092 � 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 CDBM00025 Title A name given to the resource Memorandum from European Division Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 11/3/1966 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived RG25-A-3-c, file 27-11-7, "DEFENCE - CONVENTIONAL AND NUCLEAR ARMAMENTS - ANTI - BALLISTIC MISSILES (ABM) = DEFENSE - ARMEMENTS DE TYPE CLASSIQUE ET NUCLEAIRE - ENGINS ANTIMISSILES (ABM)," vol. 10357, part 1, Library and Archives Canada, (LAC). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource External Affairs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Anti-ballistic missiles Description An account of the resource ABMs 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