from Gen. Anderson (Commander of JTF-7) to
6 Mar. 1959
In a letter on <—
_
to the proposed transfer of
the Air Force Chief of Staff, Anderson refers
the purpose of missile
JI from the Air Force to the-Dept. of the Army for
"“JTF-7 operations fram Johnston during
test operations. “He notes that:
it is the only
the Newsreel phase of Operation Hardtack established that
from which high
suitable location readily available to the United States
ted.
altitude nuclear test detonations can be conduc
" V
The suitability of the
areas which
Island is due to its remote location from other populated
to indigenous populations.
eliminates most of the hazard of eye retinal burns
This location also offers the additional advantages of minimum interference
with international transportation and commumications systems as well as
favorable weather most of the year."
Going on, Anderson requests that any
' future action in regards to transfer of the Island or future use of the
Island provide for other activities such as JIF~7 in order not to compromise
its future utilization asa test site.
A 7 March 1959 letter from
the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Donald A.
Quarles) to Mr. McCone, Chairman of the AEC notes that in reorganizing the
Department of Defense and planning for a greater consolidation of etomic
weapons activity in
AFSWP the advisability of maintaining STE? on a permanent
basis is becoming questionable in light of the current test moratorium.
He states that "it seems probable that significant economies might
accrue through transfer of the Task Force to the APSWFcic
weapons project under the new terms of reference.
Onthe other hand, the
possibility that future tests might have to be conducted on very short notice
:
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:
wv
argues for the maintenance of the Joint Task Force on an active status.
.
O