fo the furpose cY Part IV :f this report will be te portray the opera. ..al aspects of the participation of Task Group 7.4 in Operation HARDTACK. tions. This foreword will trace the scope of Task Group 7.4 opera- Chapter 2 will deal with the crganization of Task Group 7.4 and the operational reasons for this type of crganization. Part IV will ther. be broken down into other chapters which will relate in some de- tail the major facets of the Task Group operation as follows: Weather reporting and forecasting, cperation of test aircraft, aerial support for the operation, contre] of air traffic within the Eniwetok Control Area, communications and radiological responsibilities concerned with the gathering and handling of radiological samples. Although information was meager at the time, some very preliminary planing on communications and aircraft requirements for Operatior HARDTACK was started as early as October 1956. By tha time that Joint Task Fores SEVEN held the first planning meeting for Operation HARDTACK or. 20 February 1957, Task Group 7.4 had fairly solid requirements on communications systems and on the numbers and type cf aircraft required fer support roles. Additions of project aircraft were later made after Headquarters, Armed Forces Special Weapens Project approved the projects participation im Operation HARDTACK. Eariy in March, a preliminary book message was drafted and sent te Heasdqvarters, USAF fer them to publish directing the major commands cf the Air Force to support ARDC, who would be designated as the Air Force Executive Agency. This directive when published cn 29 April ty Head- quarters, USAF, becams the official authorization which allowed the 62 EE AFWI /an ie