Concern Exists in Defense Dep’t. That Further U.S. Arms Shipments to Israel Are Creating Problems

Pentagon sources informed the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that “a valid concern” exists within the Defense Department that shipment of arms to Israel is “creating problems” for the defense establishment. “Some erosion of support” for Israel among U.S. military officers is stemming from what they consider shortages of certain kinds of missiles and tanks to meet Israel’s defense requirements and U.S. defense programs, these sources said.

Press reports in recent days have said that Defense Department officials are saying for the first time that they are finding it difficult to satisfy Israel requirements and also meet the needs of U.S. forces. In view of these reports, JTA questioned usually reliable Pentagon sources whether the officials’ statements to the media were a lobbying effort by the Pentagon to acquire greater appropriations for the Defense Department or whether some shortages actually exist because of Pentagon programming.

The sources acknowledged that budgeting for the Pentagon is part of “some thinking” among the military to induce Congress to appropriate more funds. The greater concern, they insisted, is that the U.S. is not producing sufficient quantities of non-nuclear weapons to meet both U.S. and Israeli requirements and those of other allies.

TOUGH PROBLEM FOR U.S. AND ISRAEL

In this connection. Pentagon sources emphasized that Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger has been declaring publicly that Senators and Representatives who strongly favor assistance to Israel have also been strongly opposing military aid to South Vietnam. “It’s a tough problem for us and Israel,” one Pentagon official remarked in the light of the differences of thinking between support for democratic Israel and other countries whose governments are opposed by liberal elements in Congress.

Pentagon sources said the U.S. Army has an “authorized” force level of 10,000 tanks but currently has 8150 tanks. Officials reported Israel wants 600 tanks this year, in addition to the 450 tanks shipped to Israel since the Yom Kippur War and that the Defense Department cannot provide the 600 tanks without withdrawal of tanks from existing army inventories.

The current output of tanks is 40 a month, and the Pentagon was said to be having trouble boosting output to 60 a month because there is a lack of manufacturing capacity to make castings for the tanks, according to Pentagon sources. Pentagon officials also have said they have similar problems in connection with Israeli requests for other weapons, such as TOW anti-tank missiles and new F-4 fighter jets.