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Appendix A to the enclosure that discusses the overall! report is a report
by ‘the sub-committee which looked at the organization for future test
operation based on a test when readyconcept.
probably deserves some discussion.
The ‘test when ready concept
The sub-committee and the working group
as a whole concluded that the two most fikely modes of testing and those
considered by this study would be underground and high altitude or very
high altitude tests and more or less disregarded
as too unlikely to consider.
other types of testing
Furthermore, in feeling that the NTS facilities
and programs and planning for underground testing more or fess took care of
that concept for future planning, this sub-committee looked only at the
high altitude test requirements.
Feeling.that the extensive preparations
and large amounts of money that would be required for rocket-borne testing
and diagnosing and measuring ettects from such tests would lower the number
of tests that would be done by this method, the committee concluded that we
would not test in a continuous manner or in a manner where there would be
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a series with a number of tests as in previous series but rather would
have a “test when ready conce pt".
It is stated that this would provide a
"flexib le method of operation, independent of time, scope, or place, in
which the AEC or DOD would test separately or jointly as the requirement
would dictate."
The committee suggests that the traditional method of testing
on a "series operation" basis has become obsolete and uneconomical
surface or atmospheric tests are out-lawed.
if
Briefly, the committee's
recommendations were that the test when ready concept be adopted as the
best solution to maintaining a future test capability tn light of current
estimates of probabilities, that the nucleus of a test supported organization
be established on a permanent basis, that Johnston Island be specifically
fn
Oe “e.
designated and prepared as a ready test wrgney and thal the first mission of