pees!
Cc.
~32At 10:40 a.m, the visitors left and there was a brief break. The
Committee reconvened in executive session at 10:45° a.m.
Dates of -
Next
Meeting
It was agreed to hold the next meeting in Washington on January 6,
7, and 8) 195k.
(Appendix B; item 5)
;
The next matter éonsideted, larger thermonuclear weapons, was
Larger
brought up by Dr. von Neumann.
nuclear
is confident it can make deliveries with its large planes and wants the
Thermo-
Weapons ?
largest possible bang.
He argued that the Strategic Air Command
Hence, he supported the view that the explosion
yield of the heaviest weight class of bombs should be maximized,
The
Min tmemmre ek we
.
weapons which look good right now are in the 20,000 lb and less ranges;
nothing rea
oatN
satisfactory is available in the preferred weight range of
va
SAC, Sa has logistic disadvantages; eae eeekes/is an uncertain
yr
quantity,
He felt that a weapon should be “developed with the largest
possible explosive yield in the 50,000 lb weight class,
eet
One approach
would be to nake cay
en
There was an extended discussion, pro and con.
Dr, Libby agreed tha
it would be a mistake not to push the development of bigger<aeone.
Dr.
Rabi, however, thoughte e logistic disadvantages of ee overveam
be on hand.
50;AEGmtent work, and it
could de’ souped up ese It would be unr¥alistic to consider a new
develcoment leading to. production of an item for stockpile use before it
could be tested,
He was inclined to urge ME expedited for
emergency capability rather than to suggest a new development.
Mr.
Whitman observed that if there were real need for bigger weapons the
Commission would be under strong pressure from the DOD to meke them.
Kel
-
~~ =e
TO
Department of Energy
Historian’s Office
.... ARCHIVES
co