U.S., West Germany Sign ‘Star Wars’ Research Agreements

The United States and West Germany reached agreement Thursday on the ground rules for German participation in “Star Wars” research, expanding the role of Western Europe in the space-based missile defense program, the Pentagon announced.

Several rounds of diplomatically difficult negotiations--complicated by doubts expressed by some members of the Bonn government about the wisdom of joining the program--were concluded with the signing of two accords by Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger and West German Economics Minister Martin Bangemann.

A senior Pentagon official, summarizing the results of a concerted Reagan Administration effort to win support for the controversial research among other allies, predicted that overseas trips by Weinberger and Lt. Gen. James Abrahamson, the Air Force officer in charge of the program, would soon pay off in other such agreements.

“The Israelis are interested. We believe the Italians are,” he said, adding that Japanese officials have made several trips here to discuss joining the research effort. “I expect by this time next year there will be several countries involved.”

Last December, Britain became the first European nation to formally agree to take part in the multibillion-dollar Strategic Defense Initiative, as the “Star Wars” program is officially known. Five weeks ago, Abrahamson conducted a classified briefing for hundreds of British scientists interested in the prospect of obtaining contracts.

The Pentagon declined to make public the details of the agreements reached with West Germany. But a senior official, speaking on the condition that he not be identified, said that a “memorandum of understanding” provides for the participation of the German government, research institutions and industry in the research--and covers use of developed technology for non-SDI programs.

He said that a second accord deals with protection of militarily sensitive technologies--an area of intense concern in Europe in general and, specifically in West Germany, where there is considerable commerce with Eastern Europe.

The official said that the Pentagon will seek to protect the confidentiality of the agreements because similar accords are being negotiated with other nations, and disclosure of the details could complicate the talks.

The German role is expected to be centered on optical systems, which could be key elements in devices intended to track enemy missiles and would be crucial to mirrors which, in one “Star Wars” system, would be used to bounce laser beams through space until they strike their targets.

The official said that before the parties were able to reach agreement on the pacts, questions over the treatment of West Berlin had to be resolved. He said that under the accords governing the divided city’s military status, worked out by the Soviet Union and the Western allies after World War II, the sort of classified military research that is part of the “Star Wars” plan could not be carried out there.

However the West German government was anxious to stress its view that West Berlin is a West German city. As a result, research institutions there will be permitted to take part in basic strategic defense research without specific military applications, the official said.