«4 2b
JTF8 is presently being activated by the Department of Defense to conduct
the test series is noted.
A November 18 TWX from Betts to the Lab Directors notes that the President has
appointed a committee chaired by Seaborg and consisting of Weisner, Bundy,
a State Department representative, a DoD representative Gerald Johnson, and
the committee will meet about the week of 20 November to address and evaluate
a proposed US atmospheric test plan and to jointly meet with a similar committee
from the United Kingdom and present the United States's position.
Following
the joint US/UK review the President and the Prime Minister will be presented
with the joint plan for their consideration after which a decision as to the use
of Christmas Island will be made.
Betts requests the strongest justification
for the different labs programs due to the importance of the information being
forwarded to the Seaborg committee. He further notes that DMA has obtained
authority to dispatch a group to inspect Christmas Island and that additional
details of this inspection visit will be forthcoming. On November 20th
Bradbury submitted to Gen. Betts the lengthy LASL reply. On November 21st
Dr. Foster submitted the LRL reply.
A 22 November TWX from Betts to Hertford states the following concerning
the Christmas Island trip:
"Arrangements for inspection tour of Christmas
Island facilities expected to be completed very soon. AEC designees are
Bill Ogle, LASL, and Pat Ryan, H &@ N. Understand Ogle will represent both
AEC and DoD."
A 2] November letter from the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Johnson
to Chairman Seaborg presents the DoD proposal for the first atmospheric test
operations to be conducted beginning in about March and iasting for about
3 months. Johnson notes that these tests were included in the list submitted
to the President on October 9th and their preparation was approved on October
lith. Further he notes that the test list submitted previously would require
about two years to do and therefore the tests listed in this letter are those
that it is felt could be done within the smaller window with the others being
delayed to a follow-on series. The tests include(one)a 1 to 2 kiloton land
surface or near surface test in Nevada to address the EMP effects. (Two)
a 10 kileton subsurface asroc test probably in the Atlantic ocean(3)At least
one and not more than two of the following:
approximately
(a) a 2 megaton detonation at
feet to investigate vulneratility of RV's and blackout
effects en radio and radar.
{(b) a one-quarter megaton detonation at about
feet to determine ICBM RV vulnerability and other effects.
{(c) a
two megaton detonation at 1.3 million feet altitude to look at effects on
communications and radars.
(d) a full-scale ICBM vulverability test to
verify the data from the above tests, to investigate kill mechanisms and RV
vulnerability and to proof test the ABM capability against an ICPM.(4) the
Polaris and Atlas tests earlier proposed are still considered to be desirable.
As to the decision on an overseas. site Johnson states the following:
"In view of the present position of the British Government with the respect
to the use of Christmas Island, in the interests of getting on with the
operations I recommend that we plan on the time scale that we are working on
to conduct all operations out of Johnston Island and over the open sea.
In the meantime, let us continue to explore with the British the possibility
of obtaining the use of Christmas Island."