CY -17Jan. of 59 for a progran costing about $60,000,000. Only $17,000,000 is currently contained in the fiscal year 60 appropriations for AFSWP and thus $39,000,000 more would be required from the Dept. of Defense to conduct Operation Willow inthe calendar year 1960. These cost estimates do not include provisions for delivery vehicles or instrumentation platforms. In general, Admiral Parker requests that the category one program (non-Argus) be technically approved and that action be taken to obtain the necessary funding. In order to conduct the operation in mid 1960, orders for the carrier and experimentation vehicles must be placed no later than 1 Mar. 59. These so called category one high altitude program consists of four shots as follows with equal priority: 4. A 350,000 ft., night, 250-kiloton shot 2. A 350,000 ft., day, 250 kiloton shot 3. A 125,000 ft., night, 250 kiloton shot 4. A 125,000 ft., 1.7 kiloton shot. The first three shots would be launched from Johnston Island (the Redstone system is recommended) whereas thé fourth shot would be conducted similar to Yucca, launched from an aircraft carrier in the waters off Johnston Island. As for the first three shots, if the Redstone system is not feasible, then the Sergeant (xa-20) system is noted as a possibility. recommended. As for the fourth shot, a balloon system is A great deal of detail is presented for the execution of the first four shots with various types of rocket borne instrumentation (in detail) and project numbers assigned for 30 or 40 different types of measurements for different purposes with the project agencies and cost estimates already laid out. Such agencies as BRL, NOL, AFCRL, Lockheed, ete. are already involved to. some extent in the planning apparently. As for the Argus type of high altitude testing, recommendations arc to defer any decisions on this program (Category 2 high altitude program) until after a comprehensive meeting at LRL in Feb. on the results of past tests and the status of this particular branch of science.