110 __ ___ e f _ ____ Cc ''C ' r- - Zo · t J 72321 326 nc Co 'c 0•1 Ilox '90th Aro Briefing on CASTLE pp 2-21 1eeting Folder Mr Nichols prefaced Gen ral Fi elds 24-54 3 1 a ---· US D'1E f nCJ IYES us l TO_ nc E EP GY CQ L- l1SSlON SECRETARIAT ---- '- q l·- --'J r1 A t A ' urr- 3 brierin g or t r e -Commission by saying that it was a preview of the briefing by G neral Fie ds of selected members of the Planning Board later hat day After referring briefly to the development of fissicn weapons and the present fission weapon family in stockpile General Fields commented on the successful detonation of the first thermonuclear device during IVY in November 1952 and the resulting acceleration of the thermonuclear production program 1-Ie then reviewed the CASTLE series of tests and the results which they echieved --· ---· -- --· --------------------------------- In sunh erizing the conclusions derived from the CASTLE tests General Fields said one of the most eignificant results I u2s the e11r iination of our requirements for tritium due to success with the redesign and firing of He then described the family of the r'illonuclear weapons being produced or developed r2 nging in yield from 1 4 to 20 mega tons plus end the carriers for which they are intended There follO · ed a description of expected destructive effacts c f these weapons including an estimate of fall-out rest ts frcm a 15 r egaton 'h•eapon detonated at zero point in Washingto D c 11 taEed en partially evaluated fall-out results cf the first CAS 3 shot General Fields also commented on the 1nplicaticns of the development or thermonuclear weapons with respect to air defen end intercontinental 1ss1les and ended the briefing by prasenting a compar son of relative costs of TUT and thermonuclear weapons