CHAPT“R 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
To develop ‘doctrine for employment of and defense against nuclear
weapons the Department of Defense (DOD) sustains a program to determine the capabilities.of such weapons.
This program, coordinated by
the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP), embraces theoretical
studies, laboratory studies, field studies employing high explosives,
full-scale effects tests/¢conducted specifically for weapons capability
study, and full-scale efféets tests incidental to development tests of
the Atomic Energy Commission (480)
Operation CASTLE falls within the
latter category.
The broad program for study |of weapon capabilities falls into two
major divisions. The first division-has the objective of determining
generalized laws which will permitphediction of the blast, thermal,
and nuclear radiation fields for ary)point of interest when bomb
parameters (yield, burst height, eé
are known.
The second division
has the objective of determining the redction or response of personnel
and items of military interest to the blast, thermal, and nuclear
radiation fields.
In considering projects for the Military,uffects Tests lrogram —t
CASTLE in furtherance of the over-all program fér determinationof
weapon capabilities the DOD wes guided by the féllowing precepts:
1. The project must be justified on thebasis} of a military
requirement.
i
2. The project must be such that:
test.
Grounds.
(a)
Its objective cannot be attained except ata; full-scale
(b)
Its objectives cannot be attained at the Nev da Proving
(c)
Its objectives can be attained at the Pacific Proving
—
Grounds without unreasonable support requirements.
:
3. The project must conform to the shot schedule (yields Aoca-
tions, burst heights, and times) established for the developmental
program of the AEC.