auaS document con. Sony No. L208 42. pera - RUTTEN TRI DOCUNINT NO. LUT wLe 72288 ‘75th Arc-Mic 4. Timing of Operation CASTLE “Meeting eel UES oe Mr, Deat and General Fields pointed out that for technical reasons 1t would probably be necessary to postpone \ GY. co ISAT 121805 Operation CASTLE from the fall of. F-AL53 until early 1954. Postponing the test of onCE until early 1954 would make 1t possible to test three deliverable megaton or higher : a ee : te a3 238 task | £ 3 % = |RG oe \thermonuclear weapons. ~ If the postponement is approved, os Alaplos will develop three different thermonuclear weapons : . hich would give us 4 greater certainty of having a deliver~ & able weapon than if one weapon is backed in the fall to the ~exclusion of the other two. ‘This would be the case if the test must be held in late 1953 General Fields added that the likelihood of having a deliverable thermonuclear weapon early in 1954 is greater, in his opinion, if three different types are developed simultaneously and tested in early 1954 than if one weapon is developed exclusively and tested in 1953. The alternate types of devices to be tested and the various problems in their development were discussed. General Bunker asked why it would not be possible to test one device 1954, 4n the fall and the other two in early Captain Hayward said that the only device which will possibly be ready in anything approachingdeliverable form ee by the fall of 1953 would be the “aw which LASL at this time feels has the least probability of success of the atare alternate courses. If the] oa s backed to the ex- clusion of the others it would mean a delay of six months before the other types could be tested. An additional eek reason for not testing a deliverable form of the etl a late 1953 1s the desirability of utilizingthe xesulte of Operation UPSHOT in the development of these soy weapons. CELUED N CAN ICATIO n IF s CLASS NS O I T E L E wiTH D - 7 <> . ro) od ' ih Ue ARN LAS ~