WEAPONS
Highlights of the second meeting, held in Albuquerque, September 15-17, are as follows;
1, We provided the British with blueprints, material specifications, and relevant
theoretical and experimenta} information relatedto our XW-47 warhead; Mark 28, 44,
45, and 48 warheads; and the
‘for our TX-41 and TX-46 weapons
now under development.
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2. The British provided similar information on their high-yleld fission bomb,
now in stockpile; 2,200-pound thermonuclear bomb; small
fevice; two
boosted fission designs; planned 1,500-pound thermonuclear’ Weapon; and proposed
6-inch gun device.
3. Both parties discussed in detail neutron sources for initiators, high explosive
specifications, yields and designs, and mechanical and electrical components,
We have several observations resulting from these meetings. The British have performed
experiments in bothig's--gO"Seren
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a eg 2nd thelr program in this regard
approximates our own experiments af1954
. They have tested radiation-implosion, two-
stage devices corresponding to our state of knowledge of about 1954-55. They fully under-
or somewhat better than ours of 1956. In regardto initiators, they do not havethe J. ~~
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beLETED
DELETED,
This is a new technique to
United States implosion designers and holds a great deal of interest for us. However, the
British have done little work on designing their weapons to be one-point safe.
While it does not appear that we are interested in taking any one United Kingdom weapon
or device and weaponizing it for our use, there are specific developments which the United
Kingdom scientists have made which hold a great deal of interest for us and which might offer
advantages in our weapons systems.
When the information which has been transmitted to both parties has been fully analyzed,
the United States and United Kingdom representatives will determine desired areas of cooperation for further exchanges.
Following the initial exchange meeting, the United Kingdom invited the AEC to send representatives to Christmas Island to observe their test operation during September. Two repre-
sentatives from LASL witnessed one large-yield shot and received detailed information on
their diagnostic instrumentation. During the second meeting, the AEC extended a reciprocal
invitation for the United Kingdom to send observers to Phase If of Operation HARDTACK
during the week of October 5-11. The Commission, with the concurrence of the Department
of Defense, recommended to the President that certain information concerning diagnostic
techniques and instrumentation be approved for release to the United Kingdom at that time.*
* The thirc exchange-of-information meeting was held in early October and featured discussiors on
the instrumentation used in weapons testing.
In anticipation of the disarmament meetings with the Soviets beginning October 31 in Geneva, a fourta
exchange-of-information meeting was beld in Jate October. In this meeting, which was sponsored by ‘be
Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency, there was an exchange of intelligence infor-nation on Soviet cuclear weapons development.
pOE ARCHIVES