UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA February 19, 1957 RADIATION LABORATORY p.0. BOX 808 LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA CITE: Brigadier General Alfred D. Starbird Director of Military Application U. S. Atomic Energy Commission 1901 Constitution Avenue Washington 25, D. C. THRU: Copaa-313 THIS ekMENT CONSISTS OFheBASES HOOF.Le.COFIES, SoRiLSZe Mr. K. F. Hertford, Manager Albuquerque Operations Office ee, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission P. 0. Box 5400 Albuquerque, querque, New Mexico : ub jec Subject: aongi as a Weapons Weap e P roposed d Developmen 1 t of Taongi Test Site.-- Dear General Starbird: Eo costs and operational aspects enthusiastic assistance was pro- vided by Commander, JTF-7, the 7.1 Staff, Commander Dan Rex of the JIF-7 Meteorological Center, and the 7.5 Task Group Staff. Reports on the latest considerations were provided by Dr. G. L. Felt on operational matters (memo to A. C. Graves from G. L. Felt, Cite: J-15G-190 dated 4 February 1957); Commander Dan Rex on the expected meteorology (Climatology of Taongi, JIF-MC, 2 January 1957); and Mr. Sam Howell of Holmes and Narver on costs of development of the site (letter to Mr. J. Sanders, Test Division, AEC, ALOO, dated 30 January 1957). Opinions on fallout were obtained from Dr. Vay Shelton. Using the material provided from these sources and in consideration of the presently proposed shot program for HARDTACK, comprising 25 to 30 events with yields up to 40 MI, a general analysis has been prepared by Mr. W. Gibbins and is included as an attachment. f In Mr. Gibbins' report two schedules are developed based on the assumption, in one case, that only Bikini is available and the other in which both Bikini and Taongi are available as shot sites. In preparing the schedules it was assumed that for the operation as a whole dual capability for megaton shots would exist. It was proposed that the operation wopld start May 1, 1958, so. weather was examined only for the hamer period. bd) Nout eM", DEPARTMEMT OF NAME: ESERGY DECLASSIFICATION REVIEW C KVR STAR: BETERMINATION (Cacue NUMBER(S)} T.CLACSIPICATION RETAINED 2. CLASSIOTATION CHANGFD 10: 3. CONTAINS NO ODE CLASSIFIEDTAROi EWER-DATHo= ZWD REVI A AUTHORITY: a | AaCOORDINATE WAH: NAME: PYCLASGIrIEDJNOBRACKETBTson is prohibited, A ASSIFICATION CANCERLED i ae tdnts in any manner a ecy oActof ofIts 1954 com ie moe pan! St — SS , For several months UCRL has been studying the possible use of Taongi as a weapons test site during Operation HARDTACK. In making the evaluation of the advantages as compared with the #5Y REVIEWER-DATE ROTHOR TYAN A ———= =. = ——— S SS ~