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9 LO r~duce, if p::slh~e, the number of shots scheduledfor Operation HARDTACK to less thari25. He said the Commissionwished to discuss with the MLC the schedule for the test series and attempt to eliminatesome OS the shots. General St:,r’ni.rdthen reviewedwith the aid of charts the 18 devices scheduledby the AEC, and the 3 contingencydevices which arc to be ready for testing if some of the other shots do not functionproperly, Colonel Lay descvlbedwith the use of slides th9 five shcts requestedby the DOD for the test series, Three of the five, he said, would be high altitude detonationsand the other two-;.,::.>.’”, ,! shots to be detonated from rocketsj Colonel Lay saldj are to provide informationIn three major categories;(i) weap effects data for anti-ICBMmissiles (2) data on neutron fluxes at high altitudes,and (3) the ability to.. d at 125,000 feet an whether it would be possible to obtain all the informationneeded from the 250,000 foot shot alone, He pointed out that off-site fallout would be reduced by approximatelytwo megatons if the 1’25:000foot shot were eliminated, General Loper replied that in order to determine the effects of detonationsat these high altitudes it is necessam to know
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‘chatit might be best to engage them at an altitude of 250,000 feet rather than lower since more fallout would remain in the designed to detonate at 250)000 feet would be much more costly than,one designed to detonate at 125,000 feet. He also said In response to a cxmner~-.by Mr. Strauss that there is not enough :ime to develop for OperationHARDTACK a weapon system of lower ;rl.eldwhich could be detonatedat these high altitudes, The l’,edsfl.mnerocket is being used, he said, because it is the only---..,,,. tested weapon at the present time which can be detonatedat’heig, Of 125,000 to 250,000 feet, “ General Loper observed that the DOD had no officialkno.wl edge of instructionsfrom the President to limit off-site fallou to any specific amount, In several recent conversations,Mr. Straucs said, the Presideatihad not insistedupon a’d $&.;,..:‘“ limitationbut had urged that It be kept to a minimum :,;if:.,, :< The Ccxmnlssionersbriefly discussedwith the m indicated that the DOD hoped to begin its five weapons effects tests on April 15, 1958. Mr. Strauss said that in view of the adjournmentof the London disarmamentdiscussions,the possibil Of a test moratorium in 1958 was Se&remC+&+&gh&:.@S~ -