LONG RANGE WEAPONS PROJECT

Draft Memorandum of Arrangements Between Australian and U.K.

Governments in Regard to the Allocation of the Costs of the Long
Range Weapons Project

INTRODUCTION
1. Attached, as Appendix 'A', is a copy of a Memorandum of
Arrangements between the Australian and United Kingdom Governments
to govern the operation of the Long Range Weapons Project. Para. 2
of that Memorandum defines the objectives of the project.

Complementary to the arrangements outlined in that document
regarding the provision of facilities and control of the project,
this Memorandum sets out the financial obligations of the
respective Governments in respect of the agreed objectives. It
does not cover other contemplated objectives such as the provision
of a site and facilities for the ground launching of parachutes.

ESTIMATES OF COST
2. (a) In Australia.

Detailed estimates of cost of the facilities to be provided in
Australia during the period 1st July 1947 to 30th June 1952 have
been prepared. The estimated cost is A.26,405,000 as shown in the
attached summary-Appendix'B'. [1]

(b) In United Kingdom.

Estimated cost of the U.K. programme of Research and Development
on Guided Weapons and cognate work over the period 1st April 1947
to 31st March 1952 is S.23,206,000. Particulars are shown in
Appendix 'C'. [2]

Variations of estimated costs of individual projects within the
objective will be accepted by the respective Governments, but
inclusion of extensions involving the provision of facilities not
covered by the estimates at (a) and (b) will be subject to further
negotiation.

BASIS OF SHARING COSTS
3. It is agreed that, subject to paras. 4 and 5 hereunder, the
Commonwealth and
U.K. Governments will bear respectively that part of the
expenditure in connection with this project which is incurred in
Australia and the United Kingdom regardless of where the
originating actions, e.g. orders, are taken, provided that if, for
any reason, either Government is unable to carry out its planned
programme on which the estimates of cost are based, the conditions
of this Memorandum of Financial Arrangements will be subject to
review at the request of either Government.

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES NOT AVAILABLE FROM AUSTRALIAN SOURCES
4. The following arrangements will apply to the provision of all
stores and equipment including aircraft, engines and spares
required for or directly associated with the Long Range Weapons
Project:-

(a) The cost of stores and equipment ordered in the United Kingdom
or elsewhere other than Australia by the Ministry of Supply,
including packing, handling and shipping charges F.O.W. [3]
Australian port, will be met by the United Kingdom Government.

(b) The cost of stores and equipment ordered in Australia or
elsewhere other than the United Kingdom by Australian Departments,
including the Long Range Weapons Organisation in Australia, will
be met by the Commonwealth Government.

STAFF AND OFFICE ACCOMMODATION
5. (a) Salaries and allowances of staff recruited by or supplied
by the United Kingdom Government (including Scientists loaned or
seconded to the Long Range Weapons Experimental Station in
Australia) will be borne by the United Kingdom Government.

(b) Fares of personnel under (a) to or from Australia (including
fares of wives and families) will be the responsibility of the
United Kingdom Government. Fares in Australia of United Kingdom
personnel travelling on duty in connection with the project will
be borne by the Commonwealth Government.

(c) Salaries and allowances of staff recruited in Australia
(including Scientists and others sent abroad for training) will be
borne by the Commonwealth Government.

(d) Fares of personnel under (c) to or from the United Kingdom
(including fares of wives and families) will be the responsibility
of the Commonwealth Government. Fares in the United Kingdom of
Australian personnel travelling on duty in connection with the
project will be borne by the United Kingdom Government.

(e) All expenses of official visitors from the United Kingdom to
the Range, other than the cost of fares for travelling in
Australia, will be borne by the United Kingdom Government.

(f)Office accommodation, including the provision of telephones,
etc., for the B.M.O.S.M. [4] in Australia will be provided by the
Commonwealth Government.

DISPOSAL OF RESIDUES
6. The question of the financial interests of the respective
Governments in disposals or residuals associated with the project
will be subject to mutual arrangements at any time.

DATE OF OPERATION
7. The provisions of this Memorandum will operate retrospectively
to the commencement of the project provided that no financial
adjustments will be made in any case where actual payment or
reimbursement has already been made.

[Appendix 'A']

SECRET

LONG RANGE WEAPONS PROJECT

Memorandum of Arrangements Between Australian and U.K. Governments
to Govern the Operation of the Long Range Weapons Project

[matter omitted]

2. OBJECT OF THE PROJECT
It is agreed that the object of the project is to set up and
operate, as a Joint United Kingdom/Australian undertaking, an
experimental range and supporting establishments for the testing
and development of guided weapons, pilotless aircraft and other
air launched equipment, including radio and radar control and
counter measures.

3. FACILITIES TO BE PROVIDED
(a) It is agreed that, subject to such financial arrangements as
may be accepted by the United Kingdom and Australian Governments,
the following facilities are to be provided in Australia:-

(i) Range and associated facilities: Initially, all works and
services essential to the implementation of the project, required
at the range head and along the first 300 miles of the range,
including those required for the initial assessment of
experimental observations. The length of the range will be
extended as agreed as necessary to allow for the testing of the
various weapons to be developed.

(ii) Developmental facilities: A technical establishment to
provide facilities for assembly, testing, repair and modification
of weapons to be tested on the range.

(iii) Production capacity: Production capacity in Government
factories or civil firms as may be required from time to time for
the manufacture of prototypes or component parts of the various
weapons to be tested and for the manufacture of range equipment.

(b) It is agreed that, subject to such financial arrangements as
may be accepted by the United Kingdom and Australian Governments,
the following are to be provided by the United Kingdom:-

(i) Technical equipment not available in Australia:

As far as possible, Australian sources of supply will be used to
provide all equipment required for installation in connection with
the project, but it is probable, particularly in the early stages,
that special technical equipment will have to be provided from
sources other than Australia. Such provision will be the
responsibility of the Ministry of Supply in the United Kingdom.

(ii) Other facilities required in connection with the range in
Australia:

The United Kingdom Government will, for its part, maintain such
facilities in the United Kingdom as are complementary to the
satisfactory operation of the range and its supporting
establishments in Australia.

4. CONTROL OF THE PROJECT
It is agreed that the authorities responsible for the control of
the project shall be those as indicated in the Functional Table of
Organisation, as at Appendix I [5] hereto, the various channels of
communication being those as shown:-

(a) Governmental level:

Agreement having been reached on the object of the project as
between the United Kingdom and Australian Governments, major
diversions from the Agreement will be referred for governmental
decision, but, apart from these, the authorities as enumerated in
the succeeding sub-paragraphs will, on their respective levels,
control the various phases of the implementation of the project.

(b) Combined (U.K./Australian) Long Range Weapons Committee,
London:

It is agreed that a Committee of United Kingdom and Australian
representatives shall be set up in London to consider matters of
joint concern and to advise the responsible Departments, through
their respective representatives. This Committee shall be
designated the 'Combined (United Kingdom/Australian) Long Range
Weapons Committee, London', and shall have the following terms of
reference:-

(i) To consider the general policy to be followed in the
construction and operation of the Australian Range and Base
Establishment.

(ii) To consider the major projects to be undertaken, including
the provision of buildings, equipment and personnel.

(iii) To consider the programme of work for the Range and the Base
Establishment.

(iv) To advise on expenditure to be incurred at the Range and at
the Base Establishment.

(v) To advise on technical and other matters requiring joint
consideration.

(vi) To report to the United Kingdom and Australian Departments
concerned.

The United Kingdom representation on the Committee shall consist
initially of the following officers of the Ministry of Supply:-The
Controller of Supplies (Air), the Under Secretary (Research and
Radio), the Principal Director, Scientific Research (Air), and the
Director, Guided Weapons Research and Development. For the
Australian part, representation on the Committee shall consist of
a representative of the Department of Defence, a representative of
the Department of Supply and Development, and a member of the High
Commissioner's staff representing the Commonwealth Treasury. The
representative of the Department of Defence will co-opt technical
staff officers representing Navy, Army and Air, as necessary. The
Australian representatives will communicate all proposals arising
out of the discussions undertaken by the Committee to the
Department of Defence, other than technical matters requiring
joint consideration, which will be communicated to the Department
of Supply and Development.

(c) Policy control in Australia:

Policy decisions are the responsibility of the Department of
Defence, advised by the Defence Committee, as the result of its
consideration of the recommendations of the Defence Research and
Development Policy Committee.

(d) Executive control:

(i) In the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Supply will be the
authority responsible for executive action in accordance with
approved policy.

(ii) In Australia, the Department of Supply and Development will
be the authority responsible for executive action in accordance
with approved policy. The executive authority established within
the Department of Supply and Development is the Long Range Weapons
Board of Administration, whose relation to other authorities is as
indicated in Appendix I hereto.

(e) Initiation of trials:

The authorities responsible for initiating trials and the channels
to be used for such purposes are as indicated in Appendix I.

5. STAFF
It is agreed that the project in Australia will be staffed as far
as possible by personnel employed or recruited by the Australian
Government, but that it will be necessary to supplement this
personnel by staff drawn from the United Kingdom as circumstances
require and as the resources of the U.K. permit. Scientific,
technical and Service personnel will be employed, as appropriate,
in connection with the project. It is further agreed that the
Ministry of Supply will accept staff with suitable qualifications,
employed or recruited by the Australian Government, for training
in the United Kingdom with a view to their ultimate employment on
the project in Australia.

6. DISTRIBUTION OF DATA
It is agreed that all data compiled as the result of trials
undertaken on the range, or research into, and the development of,
particular weapons is the joint property of the United Kingdom and
Australian Governments. Further, in view of the secrecy associated
with the project, such data as may be compiled shall be made
available only to properly authorised persons, the security
considerations enforced being jointly agreed to by the United
Kingdom and Australian Governments and applying equally to both
Governments.

7. PRODUCTION RIGHTS
(a) It is agreed that all information relating to production
technique, etc., is the joint property of the United Kingdom and
Australian Governments, and that either or both Governments shall
have full right, so far as the respective Governments are in a
position to convey such right, of producing to meet their
particular requirements any weapons which may be developed as a
result of the operation of the project.

(b) It is agreed that the personnel employed in connection with
the project, both in the United Kingdom and in Australia, shall
assign the benefit of any invention which they make as a result of
their employment to their respective Governments, and that each
Government shall secure to the other the right freely to use the
invention for the services of the Crown.

8. FINANCIAL
A separate financial agreement [6] is to be negotiated between the
United Kingdom and Australian Governments in regard to the
allocation of the costs of the Long Range Weapons project as
between the respective Governments.

9. PARTICIPATION BY OTHER DOMINIONS AND STATES
Nothing in this Agreement shall be regarded as precluding the
participation in the project of other Dominions or States as
mutually agreed by the United Kingdom and Australian Governments.

In this event, this Agreement will be suitably amended and other
Agreements drawn up as necessary. [7]