Report to the General Manager by the Director of Military Application: Proposed Program for Operation Teapot

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PROPOSED PHCGRA!-' FOR OPERATION TEAPOT of the Los' Alamos Scientific Laboratory and the University of California Radiation Laboratory, and the effects test programs of the Department of Defense for Operation TEAPOT commencing about 2. The specific developmental devices proposed for testing in TEA.P(Ji oy the a os Alamos Scientific Laboratory and by the University of California Radiation Laboratory have been circulated as AEG 707/13. A brief summary of the purpose of each shot is contained in paragraphs 7 and 10, Appendix "a'’ hereto, Dr. E_\.„- bury. Dr. Teller and Director, Division of Military Application briefed the General Advisory Committee on the TEAPOT Program during the period December 20-22, 1$53. The comments of the General Advisory Committee are attached as Appendix "p", 3, The Division of Military Application has reviewed the program submitted by the Laboratories and considers. wi<-h r-~> BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY Laboratories is essential to the weapons development program to meet military requirements for air defense, tactical and thermonuclear weapons and to further weapon research in the fission and fusion fields. The exception is that of the Deleted devices proposed by the University of California Radiation Laboratory. The present University of California Radiation Laboratory proposal Deleted varies from its previous proposals, which at first were for differing size devices and later for unboosted and boosted devices. The two now proposed are similar to each other in all respects but will be so detonated as to develop the time behavior of the system. The Director of the Division of Military Application is developing with the Director, Livermore Laboratory, the need for such knowledge of ♦>yna eyefigm this time, and in oarticular v.'hethor it is necessary to perform two tests in order to understand the capabilities c;: the Deleted system sufficiently to determine the nature and extent of further effort on it. It is hoped that reccmmena tions on this can be submitted to the Commission at the time it considers this paper, and at the latest by January 20, However, it is recommended that in order not to delay the TEAPOT program, the Commission seek Presidential authorisation at this time for the full program, thus permitting latitude to include two such cavices if it is determined essential. 4. The Department of Defense program consisting of three effects tests has been integrated into the TEAPOT Program. This program has previously been approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff BEST AVAILABLE COPY and was reported to the Commission'in AEG 707/7, By letter* of

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY test site in Nevada, and noted this aspect would continue under review until a firm program was established and approved for 5» The effects tests of the Department of Defense reported to the Commission in AEC 707/1, the specific programs associated therewith, and the civil effects programs circulated for informa tion in AEC 707/16 have been reviewed by the Division of Military Application, The necessity for the conduct of these tests and programs in TEAPOT is concurred in by the Division of Military 6. The Test Manager has reviewed the laboratory and Department of Defense programs and has determined that the test Vi. oiic wiWiuca utui uc Operation Flan for TEAPOT which complies with these criteria. Division of Military Application concurs in this determinate ?r ADC 707/lj contains the .Test Organisation’s plans for the conduct of TEAPOT within the operating criteria approved by the Ccmmissdc for the Nevada Test Site, 7* The Federal Civil Defense Administration will participate in Operation TEAPOT to determine effects of interest for civil defense purposes. This participation includes a training pregram in radiological monitoring for Federal Civil Defense Administration rad-safe personnel, a field exercise similar to the military's Desert Rock exercise, tests of shelters BEST AVAILABLE COPY and structures, drugs and foodstuffs, and an "open shot," It

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for routine oporaticns at the test site. The Federal Civil Defense Administration requirements for participation in TEAPOT have been circulated as AEC 432/1?, The "open shot" requested • by Federal Civil Defense Administration vias approved by the Commission at Meeting 1049 on December 21, 1954, by action on AEC 707/11. Formal notification to the Federal Civil Defense Administration of approval by the Atomic Energy Commission of the open shot and public announcement of the shot are being withheld pending Presidential approval. 8. In addition to the effects tests, the Department of Defense requested to have troop participation on all shots of the TEAPOT series to the extent practicable short of Interference with the developmental tests. This participation will not be as extensive as was the similar program during UPSHOT-KMOTHGLE and as now planned will be conducted in conjunction with qply the of Military Application with the understanding of Departme ire c. Defense acceptance of complete responsibility for safety in the ffor-i exercise area of troops and troop observers involved and making a pre-test announcement that such responsibility is solely that of the Department of Defense, This is in conformance with the conditions imposed for the similar program conducted 9. An official observer program which will enable 100 cleared observers to witness each of certain of the test shots considered suitable for this puroose is under consideration.

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY possibly all members of Congress. HecommendatIons to the Genera Manager will be made regarding the observer program when details have been more fully clarified. 10. Limited participation by Canada in a continental test series was proposed by the Secretary of Defense in a letter date January 26, 195^ (AEC ?l6), The Atomic Energy Commission con curred in such participation by a letter dated March 19> 195^ (on file in the Secretariat), provided no restricted data was disclosed. A detailed proposal for Canadian participation was .furnished the Atomic Energy Commission by letter dated November 195^ (AEC 43/830) from Admiral Parker, Armed Forces Special Weapons Project to Dr. Paul V. McDaniel, Division of Research. The proposal as submitted by Admiral Parker provides for a total of 6? Canadians -to observe or participate in exercise is during designated shots of the series, end to receive certain^ restric' -:. data in connection with those shots, It has been pointed cut to the DCD that the ADC’s agreement to Canadian participation in n test series was conditioned upon no disclosure of restricted dat and discussions with DOD representatives are continuing relative to the information to be furnished the Canadians. 11. Thia Division of Biology and Medicine concurs with the recommendation of this paper, 12. The General Manager recommends that the Atomic Energy

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b. Concur in the -Depart^iant of Defense effects test prcsra-Ti as circulated in AEC 707/7c* Note the ccr.rr.ents of the General Advisory Committee relating to the TEAPOT program contained % d. Note that the approved program for Operation TEAPOT v;ill be forwarded to the Military Liaison Committee for information and comment by letter such as that in Appendix "B". conduct of the specific program for TEAPOT, and • approval for expenditure of the necessary fissionable materials, will -be requested by letter such as that f. Note that the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy will be informed of the plans for TEAPOT g. Note that the Federal Civil Defense Administration will be Informed of the approval of TEAPOT by letter such as that in Appendix "E". Draft Let-tr^r to Chairman, Military Draft Letter to the President,,. 14-13 Committee on Atomic Energy.............16-19 Draft Letter to Federal Civil Defense BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY General fields reviewed the proposed program in detail and d 1 sous sad. with the Commissioners the Individual tests with , regard to the possibility that the test program might be curtailed. He said that the two military effects tests (Ess and H.A.) were considered by the DOD to be important to their programs and that he did not believe that the number of weapons research and development tests could be reduced without adversely effecting the weapons program. After further discussion of these and related matt and the University Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of California Radiation Labcrat''’'” programs for TEAPOT as circulated b. Concurred in the Department of Defense effects test program as circulated in AEC 707/7; c« Noted the comments of the General Advisory Committee relating to the TEAPOT program contained in Appendix "F" to AEC 707/17; d. Noted that the approved program for Operation TEAPOT will be forwarded to the Military Liaison

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1 BEST AVAILABLE COPY e. Noted that Presidential approval for the conduct of the specific program for TEAPOT, and approval for expenditure of the■necessary fisslonabi materials, will be requested by letter such*as that in Appendix "c", revised in accordance with the discussion at the meeting; that the Joint Corrr.ittee on Atomic Energy will be informed of the plans for TEAPOT by letter such as that in Appendix "D"; and o* Noted that the Federal Civil Defense Administration will be informed of the approval The Commission then discussed the scope of the FCDA foreign observer program and the probable DOD observer prog In the course of discussion on this subject, Mr. Murr said that he continued to believe that it is desirable for observers to be invited to the test series. It was agreed this question would be considered again in the near future. a. Agreed to defer consideration of the foreign observer program for Operation TEAPOT; and b. Noted that foreign observer briefings directly related to the test exercise will be written out by BEST AVAILABLE COPY