Office of the Historian

35. Telegram 3630 From the Department of Defense Attaché at the Embassy in Romania to the Department of the Army, Bucharest, July 30, 1975, 1638Z.1 2

July 30, 1975, 1638Z.

SUBJ:

  • ROMANIAN REQUEST FOR U.S. MILITARY TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT (C)

REF:

A.
USDAO BUCHAREST MSG 0231, DTG 301535Z JUL 75 (NOTAL)
B.
AMEMB BUCHAREST MSG 3.660 30 JUL 75 (NOTAL)

TELEGRAM

Department of State

BUCHAREST 3630

O 301638Z JUL 75

FM USDAO BUCHAREST ROMANIA

TO DA WASHDC/DAMI-FLS/

INFO SECSTATE WASHDC

AMEMBASSY HELSINKI

OSD WASHDC/ISA/

DIA WASHDC

NASA/FRUTKIN/

STATE DEPT: TREAT AS EXDIS; FOR HELSINKI: PLS PASS TO PRESIDENTIAL PARTY

1.
(C) AFTER GENERAL CIOROIANU PRESENTED HIS LIST OF MILITARY ITEMS, FOR SEPTEMBER DISCUSSION WITH GEN WEYAND, TO THE DATT, (REF A NOTAL) GENERAL ANDREESCU STATED THAT HE ALSO HAD SEVERAL ITEMS OF INTEREST WHICH WERE CONTROLLED BY U.S. DEPT OF DEFENSE. HE REQUESTED DATT’S ASSISTANCE TO THE ROMANIANS IN THE PURCHASE OF, LICENSE TO PRODUCE, OR OTHERWISE APPROPRIATELY OBTAIN, THESE ITEMS CONNECTED WITH SPACE ACTIVITIES. HE ADVISED THAT THESE ITEMS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DISCUSSED WITH NASA REPRESENTATIVES WHO INFORMED HIM THAT ITEMS WERE CONTROLLED BY DEPT OF DEFENSE AND THE REQUESTS SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED THROUGH MILITARY CHANNELS. ANDREESCU STATED THAT SOME OF THE ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR OPEN PURCHASE IN THE U.S. MARKET BUT ARE EMBARGOED FOR PURCHASE BY, OR SALE TO, THE ROMANIANS. HE REQUESTED ASSISTANCE IN LIFTING THE EMBARGO AGAINST ROMANIA. FOLLOWING ARE THE LIST OF ITEMS;
  • A. FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS FOR INFRARED [Page 2] PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHY IN OTHER SPECTORAL BANDS.
  • B. SPECIALLY TREATED GLASS RUNS WITH NEODYMIUM (DOPPE CU NEODYM), YAG, GALLIUM-ARSEN DIODES, AND OTHER SOLID LAZER SOURCES.
  • C. SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTATION FOR GEOPHYSICAL, METEOROLOGICAL, AND SOUNDING ROCKETS.
  • D. GROUND-BASED RADIOELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTATION FOR RECEIVING AND INTERPRETING DATA TRANSMITTED FROM SOUNDING ROCKETS.
  • E. INSTRUMENTATION FOR TRACKING SOUNDING ROCKETS DURING LAUNCH AND IN-FLIGHT. THEODOLITES ATTACHED TO STILL AND MOTION PICTURE CAMERAS (CINETEODOLITE, FOTOCINETEODOLITE), TELESCOPES, RADAR AND LASER LOCATING DEVICES.
  • F. AIRCRAFT-MOUNTED REMOTE SENSING EQUIPMENT. INTEGRATED OR SEPARATE UNITS FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBSERVATIONS AND MEASUREMENTS BY MEANS OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AT AN ALTITUDE OF 8 TO 10 KILOMETERS.
2.
(C) DATT ADVISED THAT HE WOULD PASS ON THESE REQUESTS TO GENERAL WEYAND BUT THAT THIS WAS A POLITICALLY SENSITIVE MATTER THAT HAD TO BE COORDINATED AT ALL LEVELS OF U.S. GOVERNMENT AND NO RESULTS COULD BE GUARANTEED. GENERAL CIOROIANU POINTED OUT THAT U.S. INFRARED FILM WAS USED BY THE SOVIETS ON THE SOYUZ-APOLLO FLIGHT, AND THAT THE ROMANIANS WOULD LIKE QUOTE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY UNQUOTE REGARDING THE INFRARED FILM.
3.
(C) COMMENT: IT WAS NOT KNOWN AT THE TIME CIORIANU AND ANDREESCU PRESENTED THEIR REQUESTS WHETHER THEY WERE PRIMARILY INTENDED FOR DISCUSSION WITH GENERAL WEYAND IN SEPTEMBER OR WHETHER THE REQUESTS MIGHT BE SURFACED DURING PRESIDENTIAL VISIT 2-3 AUG 75. SUBSEQUENTLY, A REPRESENTATIVE OF ROMANIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISED EMBASSY SCIATT ON 30 JULY 75 THAT ALL ASPECTS OF NASA AND MILITARY TOPICS WOULD BE RAISED AT ADVISORY TECHNICAL LEVEL DURING PRESIDENTIAL VISIT. BUT THE SAME MATTERS ARE SURE TO BE RAISED WITH GENERAL WEYAND IN SEPTEMBER.
4.
(C) SEPARATE MESSAGE FROM AMBASSADOR FOLLOWS ON OVERALL PROBLEM.

GDS 31 DEC 81.

  1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Trip Briefing Books and Cables for President Ford, Presidential Trips Files, Box 12, July 26-August 4, 1975—Europe Cables—Bucharest EXDIS and Nodis. Confidential; Limdis; EXDIS to Department of State. Repeated to the Department of State, Helsinki, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and NASA. Helsinki was instructed to pass the telegram to the Presidential party. Attached but not published is a separate list of space-related items requested by the Romanians, Bucharest 3630, July 30. Ambassador Barnes commented in Bucharest 3724, July 30, that the Romanians were moving “faster than expected” on seeking military sales from the United States and recommended waiting until President Ford’s visit for a fuller explanation of the Romanian Government’s motives. (Ibid.)↩
  2. The Embassy reported on Romanian Ministry of Defense requests to acquire U.S. military items.↩