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Yery High and Ultra High Altitude Tests.
2
During December 1956,
Major Ceorge L,, Trimble of the Directorate of Operations was appointed
Task Group 7.4 Project Officer for the high altitude tests scheduled for
HARDTACK,
Major Trimble assisted the Center Research and Development
Directorates in preparing a Center study on the Ultra High Altitude Project.
The principal problems of this study were the determinations of
(1) the type of carrier vehicle to transport a
200,000 feet, (2) the tyne warhead to be utilized and (3) the instrumen~
tation requirements,
Major Trimble and other representatives of the
4950th Test Group (Nuclear) attended several conferences while this study
was being prepared.
In January 1957, Armed Forces Special Weapons Project recommended to
the Department of Defense that the Army Redstone missile be used as a car=
rier vehicle for the Ultra High Altitude shot.
This proposal was accepted,
and responsibility for subsequent planning thus fell to other agencies
with which the 4950th had no direct relationship.
Because of this assign~
ment of responsibility, the 4950th would not be involved in the Ultra
High Altitude Test except perhaps to position aircraft in the test array,
@ problem which would require no great degree of preliminary planning.
Similarly, the 4950th was not scheduled to perform planning for the
Very High Altitude shots, inasmuch as the 1925th Test Groun (Atomic),
another Special ‘eapons Center organization, was riven the responsibility
Task Grovup 7.4 would he concerned only
AFWL/ HQ
ae)
for furnishing aircraft support.