Headquarters 4950TH TEST GROUP (NUCLEAR) — Air Force Special Weapons Center United States Air Force Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico Swso _ SUBJECT: TO: 26 June 1957 Support Aircraft Required for HARDTACK Inter-Atoll (EniwetokBikini) and Project Island AirJift Commander Joint Task Force SEVEN Washington 25, D. C. 1. The requirement for HARDTACK support aircraft as outlined herein is based on the following assumptions: a, That the frequency of flights reauired by JTF SEVEN and the Task Groups, between Eniwetok and Bikini, must tbe of primary consideration in determining aircraft support required. ¥ ~ b. That two (2) C-54 aircraft will be assigned to the 4951st Support Squadron (Test) and that all C-47's presently assigned to this Scuadron will be withdrawn prior to or at the beginning of the operational period. (0/a 1 March 1958.) c. That there will be no Documentary Photography Element participating in HARDTACK from which some airlift support would be available. If it develops that there will be a Documentary Photography Element of three (3) C-54's and the same support is received from them as during REDWING the number of aircraft shown in paragraph 2 below can be reduced by one (1) in each of the months shown, It must be pointed out that the Doc Photo aircraft provided all the airlift to Tarawa during REUWING, During HARDTACK there will be an additional site reauiring support at Naru which is approximately 800 miles from Eniwetok, ad, That there will be an increase of all traffic of at least 25% over PEDWING, based on a JIF SEVEN statement that the scope of HARDTACK would be greater than REDWING, and the addition of one weather island site (Naru). _ @,. That the operational period of HARDTACK will correspond to that f. That support aircraft will be able to maintain an average flying of REDWING, hour rate of 65 flying hours per month per aircraft throughout the operational period. (S) AFWL/ HQ Ine/ ‘Fpl