Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXVI, Arms Control and Nonproliferation

277. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance and Secretary of Defense Brown¹

Washington, September 8, 1977

SUBJECT

• Arms Sales Totals

In response to a May 27² request from the President, you reported on June 13,³ a best estimate of the total dollar volume of FMS agreements for fiscal year 1977 of $9.9 billion. This estimate included $1.2 billion for the AWACS sale to Iran. I now understand that current staff estimates of the total for this year are $9.9 billion not including AWACS. Thus the estimate appears to have changed by more than one billion dollars in the past three months. In order to allow the President to consider the proper disposition of the AWACS sale, please provide by COB tomorrow, Friday, September 9, your best current estimate of the dollar total for FY ’77.

In making decisions on the timing and content of arms sales packages under the ceiling imposed by PD–13, it is essential for the President to have accurate and timely estimates of the dollars volumes that have been and are likely to be committed in any given year. Therefore on September 30, and monthly thereafter, you should provide a report containing the following:

—The cumulative total of FMS agreements signed since the beginning of the current fiscal year, including a country-by-country listing of the totals for each of the ten largest recipients in that year.

—A detailed listing and dollar total of letters of offer and acceptance extended, but not signed.

—The same for sales that have been approved by the President (or the Secretary of State) but not yet approved by Congress.

—The same for requests for letters of offer and acceptance in the clearance process within the bureaucracy including date of receipt.

—The same for serious indications of interest from foreign governments for which we have not yet received a formal request.

In each category, totals should be broken down for exempted and non-exempted countries.

Zbigniew Brzezinski

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Global Issues, Mathews Subject File, Box 2, Arms Sales: Dollar Volume/Ceiling: 4/77–8/78. Confidential.
2. See Document 272.
3. Not found.