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16 Jamary 1957
why they should have one in order t: provide the support that they would
be obliged to provide to you.
An aful lot of material and equipzent gets
simttled back and forth, end I thirl: that if they were asked how they
would go about supporting a test cperation up there, they would arrive at
the: conclusion that an airstrip is. extremely valuable.
I feel that they
would be able to cut down their investment in net materiels and stili be
able to guarantee the support capability by being able to shuttle parts
and people back and forth.
GIBBINS: I disagree.
RRC:
It depends upon the number of stations sou build ashore.
Weil, let's leave materials out of :t.
I cen remembe:s a mumber of occasions
on CASTLE and REDWING when it got pretty important to .wke 2 medical evacuation from Bikini to Eniwetok.
GIBBINS: I already mace the statement that if you decide. to base ike airstrip oa
the factor of sefety alone, I would egree.
FELT:
We weren't trying to say that you couldn't conduct en opere‘ion without an
aivstrip up there.
What we were aaying, or doing, was icokii,; at the vay
operations herve besn conducted, and trying to decide from our ow point of
view uhether 1t was reasonabie to acsume thet if the plece was ceveloped,
if pressure would be sufficient that an airstrip vould be put in enyway,
whether it wes askea for by you, or us or arybody else.
GIEBINS: Weil, that might be, but we are not asking for it.
FELT:
Yen, but despite the fact that you cidn't ask for it for UChL operaticvs,
there would te enough pressure for it anyway.
So, 1% would be ea fair a:cunp-
tion for planning prrposes, at least in one category of the planaing, thar
an airstrip would be put in, and we were exploring the implications of what
the: general idea for developing the place vould be, on tke basis that there
wan an airstrip.
4 by
We also felt that if you put an eirstrip in, you elso hope
thi:t you can use the thing a?ter you vegin to shoot up there and that perhaps
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