92. Note Prepared in the Department of Defense0

Follow-up on 11/3/61 NSC Action

General Luedecke for the AEC and Dr. Johnson for DOD are preparing a plan of action to carry out the Presidential decision authorizing atmospheric test preparation that will include the following steps:

(1)
State will immediately pursue with the U.K. the use of Christmas Island, and JTF-8 will concurrently make plans to utilize this site.
(2)
As an alternative in case Christmas Island is not available, JTF-8 will make preparations for airborne tests off the Hawaiian group of islands, and will pick another launching site such as Johnston Island for the two high altitude shots which cannot be air launched.
(3)
The Air Force and Navy task groups which are already at work on preparations for systems tests (ASROC, Atlas and Polaris) will continue their efforts.
(4)
In order to attain maximum compression (probably 12 weeks) of the time period for development and effects tests once started, the AEC will plan for dovetailing of tests and the DOD will see what can be done to equip more aircraft for air sampling during the four months’ period prior to the tests.

  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 65 A 3464, Atomic 400.112 8 Apr 61 (Jan-Nov 61). Top Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text, which bears the stamped notation: “SecDef has seen.” Gerald Johnson prepared a lengthier but similar memorandum on the same subject on November 3. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Subjects Series, Nuclear Weapons Testing 11/1-28/61)