Meeting #1357, 16 April58:
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Discussion of upcoming NTS testing by Starbird addressed the remainder
of 58 and early 59 prior to operztion Trumpet, planned for spring of 59.
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"In response toa question by Libby, Starbird said the 40 kiloton shot
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planned for NTS would be ready by January or February 1959 and could
| be ready in November 58, if it is assigned a high priority.
Mr.
Libby
commented on the need for accelerating the underground test program
and observed that future disarmament negotiations may result in the
US abandoning testing in the Pacific completely with the exception
of 100 kiloton device tests for weapons effects,
General Starbird said
he agreed that the underground test program was urgent but that AEC
should not give the impression that it is expediting the underground
program in anticipation of any disarmament agreement,
He said itis
important for government officials outside AEC to realize that an
underground test program cannot accomplish the same results as testing
above ground +
eeeee Libby said he beliewed that the letter to the President
concerning the underground test program did not adequately state the
urgency of the present situation,
He said he believed AEC's position
on the importance of-underground tests had never been properly presented
to the President and that it should be pointed out to him that underground
testing at Nevada may be the only way the US will be able to carry on
weapons tests in the future. ''
The commissions actions included appoving
the 20 to 40 kt. undergraund tests for early 59 and that the number
of l-point safcty tests for the NTS in the fall of 1958 had been cut from
10 to about 7.
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