and Betts on 21 November 61 is
Here, forwarded to the Commissioners and Lueéecke
A
erations of the Bethe
the preliminary draft summary of the 16-17 November 61 consid
in this summary which
I will just quote the most interesting statements
penel.
series from 1 September to
addressed the accomplishments of the Russians in their
date.
number of development
"There were a numberof proof tests and a much larger
tests.
All of the developments tests showed a highly
sophisticated nuclear weapons technology.
In some instances the weapons appeared
t in the United States exoerience.
to be of a design to which there is no counterpar
obtained equals the best
In weight classes down to 1000 lbs. the yield-to-ratio
from the 1958 HARDTACK
that the U.S. can do on the basis of designs projected
series.
.«
«
«
»
.
. «
s inchudes
in summary, we find that the Soviet tests serie
various impressive devices.
Among the specific areas
covered by the summary are the progress made in
development has taken place.
where substantial
Also, a couple of the devices cannot be interpreted
on the basis of known U.S. weapons technology.
"Since the device was fired at 12,000
feet elevation, it must have been rather sturdg and in a fairly advanced stage of
engineering, although not necessarily a weaponized version."
There are several iterations of the Bethe panel's study of the Russian tests
through December 61 which generally concluded tery little different from the
November meeting, but leaned toward a weight sxiiccdiucrex of twenty-five to thirty
thousand pounds for the highest yield tested.
Fs
future Soviet tests would be of the greatest value."
Sy
“This information on