We also recommend that a test of a device using U-233 be made as
soon as practicable when a sufficient quantity is available.
2. Atireraft Nuclear Propulsion Program. The pressures of time, and. the
injection of the U-233 problem into our agenda at a very late date, coanbined with the lateness of the Commission request for further elaboration
of our comments on the ANP program as given in the report of the Chairman
of the GAC dated June/3, 1954, made it impossible to study the ANP problem
in greater detail at this meeting. However, the Subcommittee on Reactors
proposes to meet at Oak Ridge for three days, September 21, 22, and 23,
1954, to consider the whole ANP program and hopes that the Commission
will invite attendance at this meeting of representatives of the Nuclear
Development Associates and the General Electric Company, as well as AEC
staff and other interested parties. We hope that a report, which may —
be useful to the AEC, will result from this meeting.———"—
We wish to reiterate our belief in the importance of the ANP program
for our national defense, and our hope that it can be so organized as
to proceed to its objectives. with minimum delay.
3, Comments on the Discussions of July 12, 13, and 34. Jointly with the —
MLC and the CCAR, we had three days of review and discussion at Sandia
and Log Alamos with the principal staffs of Sandia Corporation, LASL,
and Livermore Laboratory,
(a)
Sandia, We were impressed with the strength of the organization for
engineering development and design, and the great attention which was
given by the organization to reliability and-effectiveness in weapon
designs. Significant progress was reported in the development of fuses
in the direction of reliability and simplicity.
We noted with special interest and approval the careful effort which
is being made in system studies toward understanding the nature of weapon
systems which make for maximum effectiveness,
.
We were also gratified to observe the close and friendly cooperation |
of Sandia with LASL and with the military ozganizations.
'(e)
Los Alamos.
The day and a half of briefing and discussion by the
staff of Los Alamos was illuminating and complete, We heard from:
Dr,
Graves on the CASTLE tests and the future THAPOT, Post-TEAPOT, WIGWAM,
and REDWING tests; Dr. Schreiber on present weapon status, nuclear
safing and U~233 in guns; Dr. MacDougall on tactical and small weapons,
and also on possible improvements in the 30 KT regions; Dr, Mark on .
CASTLE and forward-looking prospects in two-stage weapons, and also cn
the use of "dirty" plutonium; and, finaily, Dr. Bradbury on future
directions in weapon design, utilization and stockpiling,