b. 3000 Program - Weapons (See minutes of
Meeting 1125)
a
The Commissioners resumed their consideration
of the budget estimates for this program, especially the
question of whether adequate funds would be available for
the expansion of weapons development facilities. Colonel
Starbird reviewed in detail the factors which had been
taken into consideration in preparing the estimates for
this expansion.
Mr, Murray said that he was convinced that a
second weapons development facility was necessary and
that the Commission should be thinking of new contractors,
He said also that he believed that steps should be taken
as soon as possible to construct such a facility and
arrange for its operation, He inquired whether any
prospective operating contractors for a second facility
were being considered. Colonel Starbird said that the
matter had been discussed in a preliminary way with
representatives of Livermore and Los Alamos,
Mr, Murray commented on the problems which
he believed AEC would face in the next several years as
a result of military requirements for new types of
weapons. He indicated that he felt strongly that plans
for a new and separate developmentfacility should
proceed at once, before the receipt of the DOD's
statement of long-range requirements, Mr. von Neumann
and Colonel Starbird commented on information already
available concerning the DOD's interest in new weapons
types and on the manner in which the long-term priorities
for the developments of weapons will be stated.
General Fields said that he did not wish to wait until
after Operation REDWING to submit to the Commission
a staff study of the manner in which weapons development facilities should be expanded; on the other hand
~2e complexities of the problem would make it unlikely
that the study could be completed very soon. He
indicated that he was inclined to doubt that the selection of a new contractor would be desirable.
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