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WEAPONS
Construction
Expansion of weapon research and developmentfacilities at the University of California
Radiation Laboratory at Livermore was 61 percent complete and about on schedule on
September 30. Construction of the Sigma Building at Los Alamos was 64 percent complete and
slightly behind schedule.
The 1958 expansion of ACF Industries plant at Albuquerque was 60 percent complete.
The design of the building and supporting facilities for a 5-megawatt reactor for testing
weapon components by Sandia Corporation in Albuquerque was 92 percent complete and on
schedule. Completion of design, scheduled for the end of October, would permit taking bids
for construction in November.
EXCHANGE OF WEAPONS INFORMATION WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM
Two exchange-of-information meetings with the United Kingdom were held in the JulySeptember quarter. These meetings were held pursuant to section 144c(1) of the Atomic
Energy Act and the new bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom. Highlights of the first
meeting, held in Washington, D. C., August 25-27, are as follows:
1. Our transmission to the United Kingdom consisted of a written report and
more detailed oral statements concerning certain weapons wenow have and will
shortly have in production. Includedwere details of size, weight, shape, yield,
amountof special nuclear material, method of nuclear safing, mechanical and
electrical design, and vulnerability, The weapons described were: Mark 7, Mark
15/39, Mark 19, Mark 25, Mark 27, Mark 28, Mark 31, Mark 33, and Mark 34,
2. The United Kingdom representatives presented paralle] information, together with an indication af weapons they intend to develop. Following completion
of all items in the agenda, the United Kingdom representatives gave an oral presentation of their state of achievement in. the nuclear weapons field, in which they described
two rather sophisticated TORS
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DOE ARCHIVES
3. During the first meeting it became obvious that the United Kingdom has
achieved an advanced state of weapon research anddevelopmentin both the fission
and thermonuclear fields. Moreover, it appeared likely that certain advances made
by the United Kingdom would be of benefit to the United States. Despite these achievements, however, the British apparently do not have an appreciation that plutonium
produced from uranium subjected to higher burnup in their power reactors is usable
in weapons. This knowledge would be of great significance to their civilian power
programs. In addition, they have apparently not exerted major effort toward making
their weapons one-point safe.