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‘INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE (ICEM) AND INTERMEDIATES RANGE
BALLISTIC MISSILE (IRBM) PROGRAMS
(NSC Actions Nos. 1433, IS54, 1690, 1743 and 1765)
Mr. Cutler introduced the subject and indicated that Mr.
Holaday, of the Department of Defense, would give the presentation.
Thereupon Mr. Holaday read his report, with its conclusion that the
time was not yet at hand when a clear choice could be made in favor
of either the THOR or the JUPITER program, and that both should be
continued until successful tests are achieved by one or the other
missile.
The President pointed out that the early NBC directives
on the development of the U. 5. ballistic missiles program had emphasized that one of the first requirements was for the achievement
or a workable intermediate range ballistic missile. If an attempt
to develop an IRBM with ea 2000-mile range was slowing up the achievement of an IRBM with a 1500-mile range, the President wes altogether
against it.
(The President's remark derived from e statement by
Mr. Holaday that the British were pressing us to extend the range
of our IRBM's to 2000 miles.)
Mr. Holaday assured the President that the Defense Department was following the NSC directives implicitly, and its objective
continued to be the achievement of an IREM with a range of 1500 miles.
The President then inquired whether Mr. Holaday end his
associates were keeping under constant study the possibility of resort to a Manhattan District approach for the achievement or the objectives of our ballistic missiles program.
Mr. Holaday replied in
the affirmative, and the President went on to say that we might have
to consider this approach despite the fact that up until now we had
rejected the idea of a new Manhattan District operation for the missiles program.
Referring once again to points made by Mr. Holaday, the
President inquired what difference it made whether the Army or the
Air Force conducted the test firings of these missiles. Mr. Holaday
replied that the Air Force fires ite missiles from fixed concrete
installations on its airfields.
The Army, on the other hand, makes
use of the principle of "shoot and scoot".
It was the Army's objec-
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a nn
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tive to make the installations for firing missiles mobile in character.
The President, after stating that he approved the recommendations with respect to THOR and JUPITER proposed by Mr. Holaday,
went on to say that only yesterday he had again been asked how much
of the delay in our earth satellite program derived from inter-service
rivalry. The President said that he always denied the validity of
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