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REF ID: A 055-

'l'9P SBSREi'l = l:J. 5 • EYi!iS OMfl.t 

SUBJECT NUMBER 

fEo 3 . 3 ( h) ( 2 ) 

PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 

'I'M '!IiE Fi f'/A-L 

USCIB: 2!).17/19 Item 3 of the Agenda for the ll2th Meeting of USCIB, 

held on 11 February .1955. 

Subject: COMINT Relations with 1 .... __ .... 

THE ACTING CHAIBMAN (General/Cjbell) afed if there were\a.ny 

objections to accepting the list/of ./~equirements for equipment 

set forth in LSIB 28/55 which was circulated as an en(Jlosure with 

USCIB ';s.17/13. . GENERAL LEWIS said that .the Air F.orce has certain reservations as it 

appeared that a good deal; of the equipment is for ELINT purposes rather 

than COM.INT purposes. He stated that it does not appear proper for USCIB 

to get into the ELINT/business at this time. He pointed out that the 

Air Force is not in favor of the U./K. acting as brokers for the Uni.tad 

States in the ELINT business. Some time ago, he continued, the Air\.Force 

set u rocedures/for furnishin INT 

e./are now, e sai , imp emen 1ng 

program. He concluded by expressing his opinion that •the ELmT portion 

of the proposed transaction should be eliminated. 

THE ACTING CHAIRMAN asked if elimination of ELINT equipment from 

the list.would materially delay or eliminate the U.S. ELINT take from 

I I 

GENERAL LEWIS replied/that he felt this was a pertinent point. If, 

he continued, the Air For/ce has correctly read and interpreted the 

equipment list enclosed with USCIB 29.17/13, it involves ELmT equipment 

which is in short supply. We have, through careful planning, he 

commented, been able to make some of the equipment available for delivery 

in Europe. Should ELINT equipment be eliminated from the list under 

discussion, it would facilitate present negotiations. The Air Force 

might then proceed, he concluded, without running any risk of upsetting 

relations. 

GENERAL EHSKINE stated that since the U.S. ELmT problem has not 

been settled, he was of the opinion that ELmT equipment should be 

eliminated from the list as USCIB has no jurisdiction over it. 

THE CHAIRMAN····· i asked if separation of ~LINT and COM~ipment would 

run the risk of stopping the flow of CCMINT data from L___J 

GENERAL/ERSKINE advised that the Air Force has an ELINT agreement 

with II/and asked General Lewis if there was anything in the agreement ~ight help to clarify this point. 

USCIB: 29.17/19 - 6 -

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Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 05-01-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 
e rniPHS~JJl60ss 9 ;EO 3 . 3 ( h) ( 2 ) 

'fOP MleRB'f - tl.B. EI!l5 ONLY PL 8 6-36/ 50 use 3605 

USCIB: 2!1.17/19 

c~E:ai\LLEWIS was of the opinion that the exchange\agreement between ,__ _ __,I and the Air Force is mutually beneficial and that \there have been 

no indications of dissatisfaction of/any kind. •Hethen pointed out that 

the items in :paragraphs 3(a) and ,3{c} appear to be ELINT equipment while 

paragraph 3(d) contains a list of equipment that could be used for both 

EI.INT and CGiINT. 

GmiEllAL CA!ilNE [~ine<j .. that when the u.;s. "'1d. U.K. had agreed on 

the arrangements with / USCIB was officially notified that I I 

had insisted that there/ e only one contact with them for both ELINT and 

COMINT. 

THE ACTING CHAIRMAN asked if the Board has not·. a.lways pointed out 

to the U.K. that/it has no cognizance over ELINT. 

J GDJE"RAI1 CANINE replied that this is tru ... / e but th .. at .. he wasn't sure tha~ lwas fully aware of this. 

THE ACTING CHAIRMAN then suggested that EI.INT and. COMINT be 

separated until a decision has been made on the possible merger. He 

recommended that consideration be given t.· o (a) cont1uation of action to 

forward COMINT equipment to the U.K. for delivery to_ ·•· I; (b) proper 

action for USCIB to take with respect to equipment that can be used for 

both ELINT and CD.MINT purposes; and (c) stopping delivery of pure EI.INT 

equipment only after assurance that early receipt of the EI.INT take 

would not be jeopardized. 

GllNERAL ERSKINE noted that a compromise solution to. the U.S. ELINT 

question is being formulated. It had been recommended, he said, that 

responsibility for ELINT be delegated to the Secretary of Defense. If 

approved and issued as a National Security Council Intelligence 

Directive, the Department of Defense planned to issue a Directive which 

would assign the responsibility for implementing the EL.INT Directive to 

the Department of the Air Force. 

MR. ARMSTRONG, returning to the subject of a separate U.S. approach 

on the ELINT problem, expressed con.cem over the possibil,ty of reopard- izing our interest in present CCMINT arrangements between_ .and the 

U.K. Would it be possible, he asked, to tell the U.K. that we cannot 

give them an answer until we settle our ELINT problem? · 

GENERAL .ERSKINE suggested that USCIB proceed with the COM.INT 

portion of the arrangement and simply hold off on the ELINT equipment. 

GENERAL CANINE las of t~e finion that the urgency of the requirement for C(JHNT from ( :has not decreased and that the proposed 

transaction is a mos-& ec0T1omJ.ca:J. method of satisfying the requirement. 

He urged all haste in consun:mating the arrangements. 

USCIB: 29.17/19 - 7 -

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REF ID: A6055ft ... i.Eo 

3. 3 (h) (2) 

'feP 5EeftE'f - t:J. B. EYFB OHL¥ 

USCIB: '2!}.17/19 

PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 

THE ACTING CHAIRMAN invited further conunent on possible delay or 

risk involved should ELINT and COMINT equipment be separated. 

CAPTAIN TAYLOR observed that in the notif.ication given to USCIB by 

the British in October there was this statement - ''Detailed proposals on 

the provision or equipment are being taken up with U.S. ELINT authorities". 

GENERAL ERSKINE said that the Departmen-P: of Defense has not heard 

of any British proposal to discuss EI.INT with U.S. •authorities. He 

recommended recognition of the fact that USCIB does not have authority to 

deal in ELINT. 

GENERAL CANINE asked if there might be some dr• plication between the 

list or equipment requested by the U.K. forland the equipment which 

the Air Force contemplates furnishing. 

GENERAL LEWIS replied that the listof equipment contained in the 

enclosure with USCIB '2!}.17/13 is ruch la .... /f/ger than the amount the Air Force 

had discussed previously with the ....___ ......... 

ADMIRAL ESPE said that he favored.separating the ELINT equipment from 

the CD.MINT equipment. 

THE ACTING CHAIRMAN suggested that the British be asked to indicate 

what is, in their opinion, the intended use of the material listed. 

It was agreed that the Executive Secretary would transmit a message 

to elicit this information having first cleared the text of such message 

with the members of USCIBEC. 

The ensuing discussion culminated in agreement to refer the enclosure 

with USCIB '2!}.17/13 to the Executive Committee for separation of the EI.INT 

equipment from the CCMINT equipment and designation of equipment that may 

be used for both ELINT and C<l1.INT purposes and to consider at the same 

time such views of the U.K. as may be received in response to the 

Executive Secretary's enquiry as to the U.K. comments on intended use. 

The Executive Committee would then draft a message to LSIB presenting the 

current U.S. position and submit it to USCIB for approval. 

DECISION: (11 February 1955) USCIB directed the Executive Secretary to 

elicit the following information from the U.K. after having first cleared 

the text. of such message with! the members of USCIBEC: (a) which equipments listed in LSIB/28/55 the U.K. believe to be intended for EI.INT 

purposes and those which are intended for COMINT purposes, (b) which 

equipments they beli~ be used for both EI.INT and CO~UNT purposes, how the U.K. believe ·intends to use them and what COMINT the U.K. 

eX}:!ect may be thus ob aine • 

USCIB: 29.17/19 - 8 -

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REF ID: A60559 -

EO 3 . 3 ( h) ( 2 ) 

!OP SB6Rl!l'f - t:T.e. ~s 0Nh¥ PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 

USCIB: 29.17/19 

USCIB also directed that the Executive Committee, after considering 

the views of the U.K. in response to the above message and the opinion 

ot the technicians provided by the National Security Agency, the 

Department ot the Navy and Department of the Air Force, prepare, for 

USCIB approval, a proposed message to ~IB pres~ting USCIB1s views on 

the list ot equipment to be provided to 

USCIB: 29 .17 /19 - 9 -

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