A 24 November TWX from Mr. Fowler of Sandia to Betts addres
ses the UMA
questions (from Col. Banks to R.W. Henderson)
on the possibility of combining
the AEC and 000 high altitude tests.
Based on Sandia participation in the
C
AFSWC proposals for various high altitude possib
ilities and also including
(
informal discussions with field command DASA, Sandia is convin
ced that for
the 400 kilometer shot the AEC and DOD objectives can
be combined in one
test of the standard warhead
They thus recommend
action be taken to establish Joint sponsorship of
the shot.
Both DASA and
AFSWC have proposed a 115 kilometer shot, howeve
r, they show it as a 2
megatone and 1.4 megatone test respectively.
The AEC thought in this area
is for a 165 kt shot at about 125 to 150 kilometers.
Whether the AEC shot
can be used to achieve the DOD purposes is not
clear whereas the AEC shot is
lower than 115 kilometers to produce the desired blacko
ut effects, the
neutron assymetry measurements can be made but the provein of AEC diagnostic
measurements would be ser
iously compromised.
.
Thus, further discussion
is
required to determine
whether there is some
possibility of combining
115
kilometer and the 125
kilometer to 150 kilome
ter shot proposals.
A 25 November TWX from Headquarters SAC to the Chief of Staff, Air. Force
one
ge
:
details SAC's thinking at this time as to specifically what they would like
for their command to get out of nuclear testing.
areas are listed as follows: 1.
In priority order the general
Nuclear Weapons Development Testing;
2. Weapons Effects Testing; 3. Operational Proof Testing.
As for the latter
category SAC lists seven possible systems test in the desired order as follows:
Atlas System; Bomber Device; Livermore Device with the Minuteman System;
Atlas/Titan Weapon System; LASL Device with the Minuteman System;
another bomb device; Titan II Weapon System.
In summary SAC feels that if
US testing were extremely restricted, development testing of the 56 and
effects testing as presented herein are considered essential to SAC,
-
Bz