Kissinger: Doesn't the Trident I give us more throw-weight?
Schlesinger: Not necessarily. It let's you back off.
Kissinger: If MIRV is nonsense, what does make sense?
Schlesinger: It depends on what you can do with them. Poseidon is not a very good weapon. I will see if I can work up a paper over the weekend for you and me.
Kissinger: What could we theoretically give up? The B-1? If they give up the 18?
Schlesinger: We can't give up a replacement bomber.
Kissinger: But should it be the B-1?
Schlesinger: We are too far down the pike to change.
Kissinger: I strongly support a bomber, but why must it be supersonic, etcetera?
Schlesinger: I agree. But we are so far down the line it doesn't make sense. The B-1 can fly at low altitudes. Adding supersonic doesn't cost much. We can slow the Trident or slow the retrofit of the Poseidon.
Kissinger: What can you do to save them in next year's budget?
Schlesinger: The Minuteman dropped from the C-5, the heavy missile air launched cruise missile looks good. The important thing about the bomber is it screws up their planning for attack. It makes it impossibly complicated.
Kissinger: Could we limit bombers as a trade-off?
Schlesinger: How about giving up the B-52's?
Kissinger: The President is anxious to avoid public debate on hard and soft positions as we get a position. We all want a tough position. The issue is, are we better off with an agreement of a kind that is negotiable or with none at all? In retrospect, the 750-1150 effort was not worth it -- it wouldn't have helped.
Schlesinger: I always regretted it. The rush was all tied up with Watergate. It caused the urgency and fright back here.
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