DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS EIGHTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS HARRY R. SHEPPARD, California GERALD R. FORD, JR., Michigan GLENARD P. LIPSCOMB, California R. L. MICHAELS, Staff Assistant to the Subcommittee PART 4 SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF SERVICE SECRETARIES AND CHIEFS OF STAFF Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations 30-601 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1964 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman GEORGE H. MAHON, Texas EDWARD P. BOLAND, Massachusetts JOSEPH M. MONTOYA, New Mexico NEAL SMITH, Iowa ROBERT N. GIAIMO, Connecticut JULIA BUTLER HANSEN, Washington EDWARD R. FINNEGAN, Illinois CHARLES S. JOELSON, New Jersey BEN F. JENSEN, Iowa WALT HORAN, Washington HAROLD C. OSTERTAG, New York FRANK T. BOW, Ohio CHARLES RAPER JONAS, North Carolina MELVIN R. LAIRD, Wisconsin ELFORD A. CEDERBERG, Michigan JOHN J. RHODES, Arizona JOHN R. PILLION, New York WILLIAM E. MINSHALL, Ohio SILVIO O. CONTE, Massachusetts WILLIAM H. MILLIKEN, JR.. Pennsylvania EARL WILSON, Indiana ODIN LANGEN, Minnesota WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, Wyoming BEN REIFEL, South Dakota LOUIS C. WYMAN, New Hampshire KENNETH SPRANKLE, Clerk and Staff Director II DEPOSITED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1965 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1964. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WITNESSES HON. ROBERT S. MCNAMARA, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DR. HAROLD BROWN, DIRECTOR, DEFENSE RESEARCH AND Mr. MAHON. We shall come to order and begin the hearing with the Secretary of Defense, Mr. McNamara, who will be followed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Taylor. Mr. Secretary, I hope it will not be considered inappropriate by you or by the members of the subcommittee if I make a few preliminary remarks in an effort to set the stage for this hearing. DEFENSE FUNDS, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND WORLD SITUATION The bill about which you are to testify is an important bill. You are an important witness. We on the committee have an important responsibility The expenditure of about $50 billion for which this bill calls is an important matter, and the security of the United States is even more important. We are troubled about many situations around the world, many of which you mention in your prepared statement. We are troubled about the implications of Cyprus, South Vietnam, Cuba, Panama, Communist infiltration in this hemisphere; we are troubled about the status of our relationship with the free world, with NATO, with France. During the question period I want to ask you if in your opinion we are winning or losing the cold war? What is the relationship between our military strength and the fortunes of the United States around the world? If we were 10 times stronger militarily, would our cold war position be improved? What is your present appraisal of our will to take the risks of war in the interests of peace? Are we too timid and too conciliatory? For myself, and I am sure for the committee, I can say that we believe in a policy of strength and firmness, and I would like to underline that, a policy which I believe you, likewise, support. At times I think we are not firm enough; that we lean, per too far backward in an effort to be fair and in an effort to placate everybody. We have to be respected if we are to be effective. Critics are saying that the United States policies and programs are disintegrating around the world. I wonder to what extent our military programs relate to this criticism? We will want to set this criticism in proper perspective during this hearing. We will have some questions in regard to our military policy and our relationship with the free world and the Communist bloc. We continue to be concerned about the reliability of all weapons. There is a particular twist to this issue this year, but it is no new issue. We have had it before us in one form or another for many years. Reliability has been a frequent subject of inquiry in this committee for many years. Upon one occasion, we had a special hearing with Admiral Rickover on the problem of how to get better performance by industry, greater dependability, accuracy, and reliability across the board-not just in the submarine area, but in the whole area of defense production and weaponry. You will be interrogated on the subject of the reliability of missiles, bombers, submarines, communications systems, and the like. But the question period will come later. I wanted to say enough to impress upon you the fact that this committee continues to be vitally concerned about the strength and security of our country. We are, therefore, deeply interested in your views and in your actions as Secretary of Defense. We want you to discuss with us in depth your views on the questions of our time which relate to your important job. Mr. Secretary, I will not say that I think you are always right, but I do want to say that I consider you to be a man of remarkable ability and industry and that I think you are doing a tremendous job as Secretary of Defense. The Nation is fortunate to have you as Secretary of Defense and to have you as one of the top advisers to the President during these difficult times. Secretary MCNAMARA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. HEARING PROCEDURE Mr. MAHON. You can react in any way you wish and proceed as you would like with your formal statements Secretary MCNAMARA. Mr. Chairman, I realize the committee faces a long series of hearings, and I will therefore proceed as rapidly as I can through my statement. I will read only the parts that I think are essential and wish to emphasize orally, and then I will expose myself to questions on the entire statement. The statement is arranged in essentially the same form in which it was presented last year, that is to say, there are certain portions marked by a blue line in the margin, and these portions I will read; other parts are not so marked and these I will not read. There is a set of tables attached to the statement. I suggest you might want to have them in front of you for ready reference as we go through it. I will refer to the tables periodically. Again, the statement contains an analysis of the military programs for a 5-year period, in this case fiscal years 1965 through 1969. |