CHAPTER 4
BRAVO TEST
The first event of the CASTLE series, BRAVO, was scheduled for detonation on a small artificial island connected to Nam by a causeway.
land was built over the reef some 3,000 feet
(914 meters)
The is-~
southwest of Nam.
The device, provided by Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL), was to be
detonated on 1 March 1954 if meteorological conditions were favorable.
DECISION TO SHOOT
The preshot 5-day advisory message to the Atomic Energy Commission
(AEC), the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Pacific
(CINCPAC)
(JCS), and the Commander-in-Chief of the
indicated that the BRAVO fallout would form a fan-shaped
pattern from northwest to northeast if the predicted winds held.
Based on
this favorable wind pattern, a search for transient shipping was conducted
northwest of ground zero on BRAVO D-2.'
The flight pattern was centered on
a bearing of 300° from ground zero and consisted of radar coverage by the
patrol aircraft of a rectangular corridor 200 nmi
{1,480 km) long.
330°.
On BRAVO D-1 a search sector was set up on a heading of
With radar coverage, this search encompassed a trapezoid 600 nmi
(1,110 km)
200 nmi
tive
(370 km) wide by 800 nmi
long with end lengths of 100 nmi
(370 km) at the outer end.
(185 km)
at ground zero and
Results of these searches were nega-
(Reference 79).
On BRAVO D-1l at 1100 hours, the task force predicted
visory to the CINCPAC)
Marshalls."
"no significant fallout ..
(in the H-18 ad-
. for the populated
Moreover, the task force predicted that no safety problems
would exist except on air or surface routes in the sector 275° to 80°
clockwise to a range of 450 nmi
(833 km)
201
(Reference 16, p. K-2).