isenhower:Paperses Pres-
‘dent, 1953-61 (Ann Whitman)
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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
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December 21, 1956
Dear Mr. President:
A number of nuclear devices for early entry into our defense stockpile, or
important to the most rapid advancement of later weapons designs, will reThe proof-firing of certain air defense and anti-sutmarine warheads
scheduled for early production. Included in this category are s warhead
for the TALOS-W missile, two warheads for the NIKE+B missile and an
atomic depth charge.
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Such tests would include:
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quire testing in calendar year 1957.
Development tests of components and mockups which provide design infor- why eat
mation for thermonuclear devices, which we plan to test in the Eniwetck
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Proving Ground in 1958,
These include an ICBM warhead and devices di-
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REPRODUCED AT THE DWIGHTD. EISENHOWER
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Exploratory and development tests directed toward echieving more efficient
use of active material and warheads of sraller size and weignte
d,
A deep underground test desicned to explore this manner of tcsting. This
testing techniqus teuld guarsntee no off-site fallout and would furnish
information of irportanca to several new possible epplications of atomic
weapons.
.
Ta addition, the Dspertnent of Defense and the Federal Civil Pefense Adminis
tration have indicated a need to sacure from any test series in 1957 certain
effects data important to the protection of our people and military forces.
A portion of this data can be secured from diagnostic shots. However, two
special shots designed specifically to secure such effects information may be
required, one of which would be a Departunent of Defense test involving an air~
burst of the nuclear warhead in the new USAF air-to-air rocket following its
leunching from an intarceptor aircraft,
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Finally, it will be necessary during the year to conduct certain sefety tasteun
tests «herein the high explosive is detonated in an asyrmetrical manner to
prove that no nuclear reacticn will occur if the weapon, while safed, is subjected to fire or accident, and to determine the extsnt of local contamination
khich might reeult from the spread of nuclear material from weapons involved
in fire or accident.
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