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ATOXIC ENERGY COXMISSION PART III - WEAPONS QUARTERLY PRCGRESS RZPORT for consideration by the Ccmlssion during the 12, 1957, In cmnection with EC 129/78, is the handle this docunenl; as.,....
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4, Initial safety criteria for the storage and handling of sealed-pit weapons containing piutonium ,were deveioped by the Joint Board on Future Storage of Atomic Weapons, approved by the Mlitary Liaison Committee, and concurred in by the AEC. The Ccx?ission informed the I&C that it des!_res to have nuclear safety crf.terf.a reviewed annually. 5, The xeapons Quality Assurance Program, k:hlch :;‘a~ desiped to Cl1s:iI‘e satisfactory quality and conformance with design criteri-a for xeapons and v!eapons components, is being ncdificd to incllsde the new sealed-pit concept. An AEC-Armed Forces Special ‘:ieepons Project agreement was signed providing military 6, Ey the end of June the Nark 8 gun-assembly type t:eepcn an0 the hark 9 28C-millimeter atomic projectile hsd been retired frcm stockpile, and had been replaced by t’ne improved i<erk 11 and Idark 19 weapons , respectively. 7. During the April-June a&Carter, the follouing fersibllity studies were ccmpleted and development programs establish&: guided missile, One ~eap,on trill be 11.75 inches in
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diameter, with a maximum length of 22 inches and a desired length of 16 inc_h_es_,____It is to...wei~&__to C~ A warhead for the Navy ASTOR antisubmarine torpedo. The weapon (XV-34) will have a diameter __. 8. Internal initiator versions of the primary for the being fired in Operation Pl,iTiG330!3.~ A decision on the type of inltietors to be used In the stockpile versions of these v;capcns 2nd the XV-31 xi11 be made after these tests are ccnpleted, 9. Develogxents of other V:CE,vorns cited in *Table 1 of the December 1956 Program Status Xeport resulted Ln the following a. The weight of the Xi?-44 has been changed from b. The weight of the XV-45 has been changed from development of the heavier v:eapon in orSzr to obtain the higher yield. (ur;_nium enriched to 93.5 percent uranium 235) v:ar>sad for an Zeus cntinissile system,
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11, The first test In the current series of continental of the results indicated that the yield was 11 to 12 kilotons and that expected results in all aspects were obtained. 12. The FRANKLIN shot, DEiETED <‘ired cn June 5 with a yield of .55 ton: fiI__A_--- was fired on June 18 v;Fth a yield of 10 Mlotons,
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16. The DIABLO shot 17, Observer programs in Opera tlon PLUHDBOB include: a, A Joint AEC-DOD official observer program for Congressional and other Government officials, and Department of Defense invitees from all foreign countries with whom the United States’has formal defense agreements and from Spain; b. A Federal Civil Defense Administration Observer Program for Civil Defense personnel, including representatives from the North Atlantic Treaty Orgrnization Civil Defense Committee and from Sweden; of foreiD press representatives; and material tests with Canadlen and United Kingdom e. An employee observer program for AEC and contractor employees in activities under the Jurisdiction of the Albuquerque and San Francisco Operations Offices; f. An observer program of AEC invitees from related 18, The Ce::l?lssion and the DOD determined that the yield and certain associated effects data of the SXKY and PRISCILLA shots could be transmitted to the United Kingdom by the Department of Defense under provisions of Section l44b of the Atomic Energy Ret in connection v:ith United Kingdom participation in t’ne DOD t:eapons effects program,. Tine yield 2nd effects data of these ‘shots do not reveal important design or fabriceticn 19. krrangezents v?ere made for the exchang;Z, of balloon suspension information an4A for the physical exchange of balloons i/XYuccessful detonation :;as achieved on this date.
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communicate directly on an unclasslfled basis with the British Joint Services Mission, 20. Preliminary plans are continuing for Operation HARDTACK, tentatively scheduled for the spring of 1958, at the Eniwetok structicn of the Sims building. The low bid was in excess of the estimated total cost of the. building is $5.1 z;illion, \Then facilities now being used for weapons research ar)d develoment expansion of facilities in the Livexsre area, . 23. At the end of June construe tlon started on the by the Smdic Corpora t4cn. k:ea?onizrtion facilities to be used
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24. The status of construction activities for operations of the University of California Radiation Laboratory at the end of June was as follows : A contract for the design of the str’uctlon was 35 percent complete on the programming building, which is a part of the computer complex. The desim of the fiscal year 1957, was substantially ccnpleted. Contracts for the construction of mino- r facilities at Site 300 had been azarded, and the remaining construction under fiscal year io57 authorization at the site was to be started within the next three months, Design of the mechanical shops .z!dciTtion was completed and the construction contract had been a?:arded. - 25, Construction of the weapons facilities for the manu26, 0-31: Ri_d;,e facilities for the production of uranlu_m 235. ~~-~~~~,:er, 43 I;ELb--en’; complete at the end of June and ah;ead of schedule, Rocky Flit s facilities for the production of 27. The EurlinEtXi -Santex excznsisn for the final assezblp of conocncnts v:as 79 percent ccmplete,on June 30 and River \ias 75 percent cozclete versus 83 percent scheduled on
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29. Expansion of facilities at Kansas City for the increased production of ‘nonnuclear weapons components was 15 percent complete at the end of June as compared with 22 percent scheduled. This lag was entirely due to a strike of construction workers on the project, and a virtual cessation of progress during the month of -June. 30, Land was-acquired for the planned expansion of facilities at South Albuquerque Works. Construction bids were received and construction was expected to begin in the JulySeptember quarter, ACF Industries, Incorporated, at this site is engaged primarily in the production of thermonuclear weapons Florida, was purchased from the General Electric Company in June at a cost of about $5,435,000. This is the plant built and operated by General Electric Company for the manufacture 32. The acceptance inspection for Operational Storage sas made in June. It was expected t'hat storege operations would begin ebout the middle of August, -'m July 8 211 crafts returned to wDr%.