CONTENTS HEARING DATES Leighton, David T., Assistant Manager for Surface Ship Projects, Page Rickover, Vice Adm. Hyman G., Manager, Naval Reactors, Division 30, 40, 61-62, 71-79, 81-87, 94, 97, 99-100, 103, 108-109, 128 Seaborg, Dr. Glenn T., Chairman__. Brown, Dr. Harold, Director, Defense Research and Engineering. Connolly, Rear Adm. T. F., Director, Strike Warfare Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. De La Mater, Capt. S. T., Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 108, de Poix, Capt. Vincent P., former commanding officer of the U.S.S. Hayward, Vice Adm. John T., commander of the antisubmarine war- fare force of the Pacific Fleet, and former commander of the first Korth, Fred, Secretary of the Navy- McDonald, Adm. David L., Chief of Naval Operations.. 22, 30, 44-48, 53, 68-71, 85-87, 93, 98, 100 Peet, Capt. Raymond E., commanding officer of the U.S.S. Bainbridge 95-98 Shaw, Milton, Office of Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research Sonenshein, Capt. N., Bureau of Ships.. Wakelin, Dr. James H., Assistant Secretary for Research and De- Wilkinson, Capt. Eugene, former commanding officer of the U.S.S. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL INSERTED IN THE RECORD List of witnesses to appear at the hearings on nuclear versus conventional 55, 71 12 87,97 5 25 161 6 Memorandum from the Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of Defense, dated September 26, 1963, on the construction of the attack carrier in Naval Research Advisory Committee, membership list_ Nuclear-powered carrier cost differential, table "Nuclear Versus Conventional Aircraft Carrier Hearings Announced,' CORRESPONDENCE INSERTED IN THE RECORD Brown, Harold, Director of Defense Research and Engineering, DOD, to Senator John O. Pastore, dated March 18, 1963, regarding the application of nuclear power for the propulsion of naval surface ships_- Gilpatric, Roswell, Deputy Secretary of Defense, to Senator John O. Pastore, dated October 11, 1963, denying reports that a decision has been reached with respect to the type of propulsion to be used in the aircraft carrier authorized for fiscal year 1963_ Hayward, Rear Adm. J. T., to Fred Korth, Secretary of the Navy, dated January 2, 1963, stating that the military advantages of nuclear pro- pulsion in surface ships more than outweigh their extra cost.. McGiffert, David E., assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Legislative Affairs), to Senator John O. Pastore, dated October 25, 1963, enclosing a DOD release directing the Navy to proceed immediately with con- ventionally powered attack carrier_ McNamara, Robert S., Secretary of Defense, to Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman, AEC, dated February 2, 1963, advising him that DOD is re- considering its decision to build CVA-67 as a conventionally fueled Pastore, Senator John O., to Dr. Harold Brown, Director of Defense Re- search and Engineering, DOD, dated October 22, 1963, with respect to the assurance that a final decision had not been made concerning the type of propulsion for naval surface ships. Pastore, Senator John O., to Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense, dated March 1, 1963, concerning the slow progress in the application of nuclear power for propulsion of surface vessels of the Navy-. Pastore, Senator John O., to Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense, dated October 9, 1963, on certain articles appearing in the press concern- ing the results of various studies on nuclear propulsion for naval surface Piore, D. E. R., Chairman, Naval Research Advisory Committee, to Fred Korth, dated December 18, 1962, urging, among other things, that all future major combatant surface ships have nuclear powerplants---- Seaborg, Dr. Glenn T., Chairman, AEC, to Robert S. McNamara, Secre- tary of Defense, dated January 7, 1963, concerning a recent review by the Commission of its development program in reactor technology applicable Appendix 1. "A Treatise on Nuclear Propulsion in Surface Ships," dated Appendix 2. Memorandum from the Secretary of the Navy to the Secre- tary of Defense, dated March 30, 1962, on the nuclear propulsion de- Appendix 3. Memorandum from the Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of Defense, dated January 23, 1963, on nuclear power for surface war- Appendix 4. Memorandum from the Secretary of Defense to the Secre- tary of the Navy, dated February 22, 1963, on nuclear power for surface Appendix 5. Memorandum from the Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of Defense, dated April 4, 1963, on nuclear power for surface warships__ Appendix 6. Memorandum from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of the Navy, dated April 20, 1963, on nuclear power for surface warships. Appendix 7. Memorandum from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of the Navy, dated October 9, 1963, on the construction of the attack carrier in fiscal 1963 shipbuilding program. Appendix 8. Memorandum from the Secretary of the Navy to the Secre- tary of Defense, dated October 10, 1963, on construction of the attack carrier in fiscal 1963 shipbuilding program_. Appendix 9. Correspondence concerning construction costs of the Enter- prise, Long Beach, and the Bainbridge__. Appendix 10. Article on nuclear ship propulsion_. Appendix 11. Extract from statement of Secretary Korth before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, February 28, 1962; and statement of Admiral Anderson before the Armed Services Committee, February [These hearings were held in executive session. Classified security information was presented during the executive session. The hearing_record was then reviewed and specific items designated by the DOD and Navy Department as being classified information were deleted prior to publication.] NUCLEAR PROPULSION FOR NAVAL SURFACE VESSELS1 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1963 JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC ENERGY, Washington, D.C. The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy met, pursuant to call, at 10 a.m., in the committee room, the Capitol, Hon. John O. Pastore (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators John O. Pastore (presiding), Henry M. Jackson, George D. Aiken, and Wallace F. Bennett; Representatives Chet Holifield, Melvin Price, Thomas G. Morris, Craig Hosmer, William H. Bates, Jack Westland, and John B. Anderson. Committee staff present: John T. Conway, executive director; Edward J. Bauser, assistant director; George F. Murphy, professional staff member; Jack Newman, staff counsel; James B. Graham, technical adviser; and Jack Rosen, staff consultant. Representatives of the Department of Defense: Hon. Paul H. Nitze,2 Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs); Rear Adm. Carlton B. Jones, Chief, Navy Office of Legislative Affairs; Capt. E. R. Zumwalt, Jr., Director, Disarmament (Arms Control Section); Hon. Harold Brown, Director, Defense Research and Engineering; and Col. Grover K. Coe, Congressional Liaison Office. Representatives of the Department of the Navy: Hon. Fred Korth, Secretary of the Navy; Hon. James H. Wakelin, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research and Development); Adm. David L. McDonald, Chief of Naval Operations; Vice Adm. Hyman G. Rickover, Assistant Chief for Nuclear Propulsion, Bureau of Ships; Vice Adm. John T. Hayward, commander, Antisubmarine Warfare Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Rear Adm. T. F. Connolly, Director, Strike Warfare Division, Office, Chief of Naval Operations; Capt. Vincent P. de Poix, duty under instruction at National War College (former commanding officer, U.S.S. Enterprise); Capt. Raymond E. Peet, commanding officer, U.S.S. Bainbridge; Capt. Eugene P. Wilkinson, Submarine Warfare Division, Office, Chief of Naval Operations, and former commanding officer, U.S.S. Long Beach; Capt. S. T. DeLaMater, Strike Warfare Division, Office, Chief of Naval Operations; Capt. N. Sonenshein, Bureau of Ships; Capt. E. L. Beach, Navy Program Planning Office, Office, Chief of Naval Operations; Capt. Isaac Kidd, administrative aide to Admiral McDonald; Capt. M. G. Bayne, naval aide to the Secretary of Navy; Capt. W. J. Moran, 1 The Joint Committee prepared a report on these hearings entitled, "Nuclear Propulsion for Naval Surface Vessels," December 1963 which was issued on December 22, 1963. ? Mr. Nitze was appointed Secretary of the Navy on November 29, 1963. 1 naval aide to Assistant Secretary of Navy (Research and Development); Capt. S. E. Robbins, Director, Congressional Investigations, Office of Legislative Affairs; Comdr. R. O. Welander, Navy Program Planning Office, Office, Chief of Naval Operations; Comdr. J. E. Jenkins, special assistant to Secretary of the Navy; Comdr. Walter E. Aymond, member of Admiral Hayward's staff; and Milton Shaw, Office of Assistant Secretary of Navy (Research and Development). Representatives of the Atomic Energy Commission: Hon. Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman, Hon. James T. Ramey, Hon. John G. Palfrey, Hon. Gerald F. Tape, Commissioners; Gen. A. R. Luedecke, General Manager; Vice Adm. Hyman G. Rickover, Manager, Naval Reactors, Division of Reactor Development; David T. Leighton, Assistant Manager for Surface Ship Projects, Naval Reactors, Division of Reactor Development; and Richard X. Donovan, special assistant to General Manager for Congressional Relations. Chairman PASTORE. I have called this meeting to obtain all the information that is available on plans to utilize nuclear power for the propulsion of naval surface vessels and in order that the Joint Committee can determine to what extent it should support in the future research and development work in this area. We also wish to ascertain how effective this program has been in the past and what there is about it, right or wrong, that led to the recent decision. According to the information that I have received, the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense have spent approximately $400 million on research and development concerning the use of nuclear power in naval surface vessels. I also understand that there may be $50 to $60 million in the proposed budget for the next fiscal year for the continuation of this work, which is separate and distinct from the nuclear submarine program. Very soon the Joint Committee will have before it the proposed Atomic Energy Commission budget for this work. I want to be certain that the committee receives all of the basic information concerning status of this work and plans for utilizing the technology which has been developed for the propulsion of naval surface vessels before we act on the budget. I informed the Department of Defense, by letter dated October 9, 1963, of my intention to hold this hearing and over a week ago set the date for this morning. I particularly was interested in reviewing the advantages of nuclear aircraft carrier vis-a-vis the conventional aircraft carrier in connection with the next one to be constructed. Accordingly, I was frankly surprised and somewhat disturbed by the sudden announcement last Friday afternoon, October 25-and this was hand delivered to this office on Friday some time after 5 p.m.-of the decision by the Secretary of Defense that it would be a conventional-powered ship, after I had been told repeatedly it was under study and no decision had been made. I would like to insert in the record at this point the exchange of correspondence I had with the Department of Defense, starting with my letter of March 1, 1963, to the Secretary of Defense. I would also like to insert in the record copies of my press releases dated October 11, 23, and 29, 1963, publicly announcing this hearing. |