Authority ML Pages 1846 1849 incl War team THE to the JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF on 9MIC JEAPON REQUIREMEJTS STUDIES FOR 1959 ReferenCe J C S 1823 256 1 At their meeting on 13 match 1956 the Joint Chiefs of Staff approved the recommendations in paragraph M'of the memorandum by the Chief of Staff v 3 Air Force in the Enclosure hereto 2 The message in the Appendix was dispatched as JCS 399095 dated 15 March 1956 to the addressees indicated therein The Joint Strategic Plans Committee was notified by dated 15 March 1956 of the approval by the Joint Chiefe of Staff of F the'recommendations in subparagraphe 4 _and E 3 KS RICHARD H PHILLIPS R o WENTWORTH aw 5mm Joint Secretariat308 lu23 262 DECLASSIFIED Authority 9430 a IMEMORANDUM BY THE CHIEF OETSTAFFJ U S AIR FORCE I for the JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF on ATOMIC WEAPON STUDIES FOR 1959 CSAFM 59 56 13 March 1956 l I have reviewed dated 9 March 1956 and the Enclosure thereto and am unable to concur with the proposal that the commanders of unified commands be denied a postpone ment in the suspense date for-compliance With 2 The time allotted the commanders of unified commands for the preparation of their 1958 requirements studies was five months and later extended by one month because of insufficient time The comprehensive nature and detail reduired of the commanders for their 1959 weapon requirements studies have been considerably expanded over that required in their 1958 studies However the is time allotted to the commanders for the preparation of these i studies is only two months In addition to the task of preparing weapon requirements studies the commanders have the task of preparing and coordinating their atomic annexes for submission f d to the Joint Chiefs of Staff by 30 September 1956 of the work required in the preparation of these annexes is directly k related and duplicated in the guidelines transmitted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the commanders for the preparation of their 1959 weapon requirements studies Since these actions are so closely inter related it would appear appropriate to accomplish the necessary coordination at the same time Enclosure A to 3 0 8 1823 256 with its Appendix and Annexes LIAL a we CS 23 1847 Enclosure 3 DECLASSIFIED AuthoriW qublSO 3 In view of the above and if the cemmanders l959 requirements studies are tobe meaningful and serve their desired purpose addi- tional time should be granted their preparation The July 1956 guidance to the Atomic Energy Commission does not neceSSarily reduire the inclusion of information derived from the 1959 weapon requirements studies since the information derived from these studies can adequately be contained in the 1 January 1957 guidance to the Atomic Energy Commission It it my understanding that the 1 January 1957 guidance to the Atomic Energy Commission can reflect appropriately any changes that might result from the analysis of the commanders l959 requirements studies without prejudice to the Atomic Energy Commission budgetary arrangements 4 In View of the requests from CINCFE CINCPAC CINCSAC CINCLANT and CINCAL to extend the submission date of the 1959 weapon requirements studies to July 1956 and further in View of the above it is recommended that The guidance to be submitted to the ABC on 1 July 1956 be limited to technical changes These changes to be in keeping with the AEC estimates on their production capability p The results of the analysis of the commanders'1959 weapon requirements studies be incorporated as revisions for the 1958-1959 desired composition of the atomic_stockpile on or about 1 September 1956 The message in the Appendix hereto be forwarded the commanders informing them that the suspense date for compliance with SM 129 56_has been changed from 1 May 1956 to 1 July 1956 '