Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-09-23
A-Weopons and the Army

The day may be far distant when our armed
forces, as advocated by Senator Mcmahon, will
be predominantly atomic in character, but there
can be no doubt that the time is already here
when they must reckon with A-weapons as
major factor in tactical as well as strategical
warfare. That is why the Army, in conjunction
with Navy and Air Force personnel, is going
to play kind of guinea-pig role in the impending
new series of "nuclear detonations" at French
mems Flats, Nevada.
All signs indicate that the detonations-
which will be set off under the supervision of
the Atomic Energy Commission-will include
tests of A-weapons specifically designed for tao
teal use against armies in the field. That is
to say against troops emplaced or concentrated
in any given battle area, against their supply
dumps, against maSSed armor, against key trans
portaton points, etc. AS for the precise nature
of the ponS-whether in the form of artillery
Shells Short-range guided missiles or bombs light
enough for delivery by relatively small attack
planes-the Nation and the world can only guess.
Authorities at the Acc and the Defense Depart
ment are keeping mum on the subject for
obvious security reasons.
Nevertheless, in formal announcement,
the Army has been specific enough to indicate
quite plainly that it is participating in the
Nevada tests to learn as much as it can about
atomic warfare in terms of tactics, not strategy.
To that end, battalion combat team-which
includes supporting field artillery and other
units adding up to considerably more than 1000
men--will take up battle position in the area
where the explosions are to go off Troops will
dig trenches, string out barbed wire, plant mines
and disperse themselves in foxholes and other
forms of cover Then, just before the detona-
tions, they will pull back to a predetermined
safety zone. The results will show % what
tactical A-weapons are capable of doing when
employed against moderate concentration OF
infantry and CD what, If anything infantry
can do to defend itself against such weapons
This forthcoming experiment-called "Exer
else Desert Rock"-wil represent an entirely new
type of training for the Army, and the chances
are that the results, If as impressive as some
expect will lead to a decision to adopt such
training as standard procedure for our ground
forces. In sense, therefore, 1t may be said
that those forces are already beginning to move
in the direction stressed by Senator Mcmahon.
Anyhow, they are not standing still, as If there
were nothing to worry about but conventional
tactical weapons. As for the Navy and Air
Force, there is ample evidence that they are
wide awake to the potentialities of atomic war
fare in all its forms-a fact that should reaSsure
the Nation.
As Mn Mcmahon has indicated, however, 1t is
conceivable that our armed forces could speed
up their readjustment to the atomic age. If so,
then they certainly ought to, and no prodding
should be necessary. Certainly with the Presi-
dent requesting almost a half billion dollars
more for the hydrogenbomb project, actual and
potential developments in the field of super
weapons make it imperative for the military to
keep constantly in step with revolutionary
changes already here or on the way