_aBEEEE
that notification to the Security Council and public announcement
of the closing of Taongi be delayed and coordinated with our
announcement of Operation HARDTACK even though certain activities
would be under way there.
20, The laboratories and the EPG Planning Board have
estimated that the length of the test operation composed of 31
shots would be about 3 months,
of Taongi Atoll).
(not considering tne possible use
This may be compared with REDWING which used
79 days for 17 shots; however, in REDWING,
18 days were spent
waiting for suitable weather to airdrop the Cherokee event.
In
REDWING we had a limited dual shot capability in that we were
able to fire one large and one small-yield shot nearly simultaneously.
It is planned, for HARDTACK, to enlarge to a full
dual shot capability which would permit to firing two high-yield
shots within twenty-four hours of each other.
LASL activities
would be centered at Fniwetol: and UCRL activities at Bilcini,
insuring maximum flexibility.
thus
It is believed that the implemen-
tation of a full dual shot capability will enable the test program
to be carried out in 3 months.
el. The adoption of the proposal to incorporate Taongi Atoll
into the EPG would enable UCRL to fire its
larger shots at Taongi.
UCRL estimates that it would take 3 months to fire its shots at
Bikini alone but only 5 weeks based on the use of both Bikini and
Taongi.
It is more difficult to estimate the effect of the
adoption of the Taongi proposal on the combined programs of both
laboratories.
The general feeling is that it would almost
certainly shorten the operations, probably by about 3 weeks.
ee. A reduced test program as in paragraph 11 of the Summary
would probably shorten the operation by about 1 to 2 weeks.
~ 18 -
Appendix "A"