co Rrsh ==tonic. ey The mission of this aircraft was to aid in the investigation of ioniza- tion and associated effects in the high atmosphere caused by a large nuclear detonation at altitudes over 100,000 feet. It took vertical sounding meas- urements on the donospheric layers after the high altitude detonations gathering data on radio wave absorption and on the physics of the high atmosphere, See Figure ll for statistics on the flying activities of this aircraft Quite late in the operation, the School of Aviation Medicine decided that its studies of retinal damage to the eye caused by exposure to high altitude nuclear detonations needed airborne stations. These staticns WerGea, deemed necessary tc minimize cloud cover between shipborne stations and thed detonaticn., MATS was required to furnish a C-97 aircraft to carry rabbits above cizud cevar and to place them at a distance of 300 miles horizon*<al range from the detination. , It flew 6sorties on practices and rehearsals and parcicivated in toth cf the SSWSRSEL shots. I+ flew a total of 39 miurs during its participaticn in HARDTACK, Prsjec 6,13 furmisned two (2) WV2 aircraft to the NEWSREEL Events to sucy the effec‘: of the high altitude detonations on its air search radar equirnent. -Tnese aircraftcstaged their missions from Barber's Pcint NAS positicning themselves with their own airborne navigational equipment. bh wo a H fo it o Q oO c+ oO mw oO A at °o oO La Ky “s They simulated barrier patrel b. z N e] mt 4q ia% n 0 =) oO oO nm oO Ky a OV oO c+ p m p: ie o ot 3 ta vie t> t in i ard osrticipated only in the UEWSREEL Events, t t They fle~ 7 oractice missions and participated in beth NEWSRE&L Events flying a total of 103 heurs. To aid in their studies of methods of detection of high altitude COPIED/DOE . LANL RO? ee