Chapter |
OBJECTIVES, DEVICES. AND WEAPONS
1,1

LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY

A total of 14 full scale tests and one safety test were carried out by
LASL in Operation Hardtack. Two of the tests were heavily instrumented
and for this reason were fired on land. The other 13 were fired on barges
to facilitate readiness and minimize contamination problems. The devices and
vields are given on page 9,

1.2

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RADIATION LABORATORY

During the course of Operation Hardtack, 15 devices designed by UCRL
were tested. Diagnostic measurements were obtained in all cases. Of this
total. two were tests of small devices with yields of

were
vaned
are given on page 9.
1.3

three.

and the remainder
Measured yields

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Under the authority of letter, file SWPWT/960, Chief, Armed Forces
Special Weapons Project, dated 2 June 1953, Subject: "Tests Involving Nuclear
Detonations Participated in or Conducted by Agencies of the Government of
the United States Outside the Continental United States," the AFSWP responsibility for the preparation, operation. and post-operation phases of Operation
Hardtack was assigned to the Commander, Field Command, AFSWP.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff authorized AFSWP to plan and implement, in
coordination with the various services and the AEC, the following:
1.

Appropriate test programs to be conducted in conjunction with the

i)

following detonations:
a.
VHA balloon-borne b
c

UHA (250,000 ft) missile-borne VHA (125,000 ft; missile-borne -

d.
e

Deep underwater Shallow underwater

f
The selection of the appropriate nuclear devices
19

Select target paragraph3