Guided missiles development and training and home porting of ships at selected bases. It will provide us increased fleet readiness and improved flight safety. And now that you have seen our program, Mr. Chairman, we can only ask for the same careful consideration and wholehearted support that we have received from you and your committee in previous programs and we feel confident that with this mutual effort, that we will maintain our position as the foremost Navy in the world.

Mr. KILDAY. Thank you, Captain. You have been very helpful. Admiral AILES. Mr. Chairman, the third class in our program is for aviation facilities for which we are requesting authorization in the total amount of $111,204,000, representing approximately 40 percent of the overall Navy program. Of that amount, $99,342,000 are for 115 line items at 18 stations in continental United States. The balance of $11,862,000 is for 17 line items at 6 overseas stations, including 9 line items for $1,505,000 at 2 classified locations.

Captain Reynolds, Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics, is here, who has a statement.

Captain REYNOLDS. Mr. Chairman, it is a privilege and a pleasure to appear before you this year to present and to discuss the aviation portion of the Navy's 1959 military construction authorization request. The Bureau of Aeronautics portion of the Navy's authorization request totals $111,204,000. Of this total, $99,342,000 is requested for the development of aviation facilities within the continental limits of the United States, while $11,862,000 is being requested for the development of our air stations and facilities overseas. Prior to proceeding with the detail review of our program I would like to touch briefly on the highlights.

Our special purpose section of the bill contains a request of $13,841,000 for facilities to support missile operations on the Pacific missile range in the Naval Air Missile Test Center, Point Mugu: Naval Missile Base, Point Arguello; Cooke Air Force Base area in California.

The Secretary of Defense has designated the Navy the executive agent for the Pacific missile range. In this capacity we are responsible for the instrumentation, safety, and the coordination of the operations of all of the three services using this range. This responsibility is great. Nevertheless, the Navy accepts this challenge, recognizing the grave importance of this assignment in this dynamic age.

The Pacific missile range will be in operation on a limited scale late this calendar year. The first and most vital increment of authorization for the facilities required by the Navy to fulfill its role as executive agent must be authorized this year.

Last year $3,200,000 was authorized for the provision of aviation facilities for John Towers Field at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The balance of facilities required to fulfill the threefold mission of (1) flight indoctrination for midshipmen, (2) flight proficiency for Naval aviators in the Washington area, and (3) Reserve air training at an estimated cost of $18,521,000 are included in this bill. The completion of facilities at Andrews Air Force Base and the construction of a runway at Webster Field, Md. will enable the Navy to move its flight operations from the Bolling-Anacostia-National Airport complex.

We are introducing a basic jet trainer into our training command late in the calendar year 1959. Our entire request of $19,619,000 for

our training command is for the continuation of the development of a jet pilot training station at Meridian, Miss., and for the construction of an outlying field for the Naval Air Station, Whiting Field, Fla.

In our program for continental fleet support stations, we are requesting additional authorization for continuation of facilities for modernization of programs for new weapons systems. The principal requests in this category are for Naval Air Station, Lemoore, Calif., for the support of jet air group training and the Naval Seaplane Facility, Harvey Point, N. Č., as a seaplane base for the Martin P6M Seamaster. The concepts and requirements for these stations were presented to this committee in previous years.

Our Marine air station program provides primarily for the extension of a runway at Marine Corps Auxiliary Air Station, Beaufort, S. C. and additional parking areas for helicopters to support the Marine vertical envelopment training program at New River, N. C., and Santa Ana, Calif.

The principal programs at our overseas stations consist of additional items to support our fleet guided-missile training at Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads, in the Caribbean and the continuation of our facilities modernization program at Naval Air Station, Agana, Guam. These remarks cover the highlights of the majority of developments requested in this portion of the bill.

Admiral AILES. The aviation shore activities are required for several basic purposes for training new naval aviators; for supporting the operating forces, including the Marine Corps, the striking power of the Navy; and for important research and development of guided missiles and their components.

The continental aviation facilities are for four groups of stations. The first of these groups is naval air training stations, which are required for training naval aviators and involve two stations for a total amount of $19,619,000.

The first project in this group is at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Meridian, Miss., for $14,940,000. This is the third increment, Mr. Chairman, for the development of this station and includes 15 line items. The two previous increments totaled $21,618,000 and provided for land acquisition and the basic operating facilities. Originally this station was planned as an auxiliary to the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Tex., to support advanced flight training in jet aircraft. The recent reduction in forces has caused the Navy to reorient its planning for this station. It is now planned as an auxiliary to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla., for basic training of naval aviators. Since jet aircraft will still be used in this course of training, there will be little, if any, modification of the facilities require

ments.

The first four line items are electronic facilities for use in whole or in part as aids in aircraft navigation and are complementary. The first of these items is for communication facilities at the estimated cost of $852,000. This item will provide an air-to-ground and groundto-air radio communication system to permit the station operation center to have positive control over takeoffs, landings, and in-flight operations of the student and instructor pilots, to contact and advise commercial or private aircraft which may inadvertently enter the restrictive military training airspace, and to control the movement of

the radio equipped fire trucks and internal security vehicles; and to permit airborne pilots to communicate orally with the operations center. The construction will provide, at two dispersed on-station sites, a transmitter and a receiver with a standby generator building for each.

The second line item is for a radar air traffic control center for $2,437,000. This is similar to a number of other line items that have been approved for various stations by this committee in previous years. There will be a large number of jet aircraft operating from this field as well as a large concentration of other high-speed military and commercial air traffic in this general area.

Because of the large number and fast closing rate of the modern aircraft, it is essential that the proposed centralized radar air traffic control center be provided at this station for maintaining control of the air traffic within a radius of about 150 miles.

The construction will include a small building about 1,520 square feet in size for the medium range search radar; a 680-square-foot building for the short range search radar; precision approach radar hardstands, 400 square yards in size; and associated utilities plus procurement and installment of equipment.

You may note, gentlemen, that the principal item of cost, $2 million, is for procurement and installation of the special electronic equipment for this facility.

The third item is to provide navigation aids at an estimated cost of $52,000. These electronic devices have a dual purpose. They are required in the flight training operations to familiarize the students with instruments and instrument conditions.

They are also required in order that the great number of high-speed aircraft in the crowded airspace in the area may be navigated safely and effectively by providing the electronic aids for the aircraft to fly into and leave the modern instrument-controlled complexes.

It provides what is called a fix to give airborne pilots information on their approximate location. A small, ultra-high-frequency homer building, 400 square feet in area, will be constructed and the necessary equipment procured and installed in it on a 1-acre, leased, off-station site. The associated utilities will be provided to complete the facility. The fourth line item is a tactical air navigation facility, of TACAN, at a cost of $177,000. This also is a type of facility explained in detail last year which the committee approved for installations at 11 of our air stations.

Civilian and military authorities have agreed on the most desirable type of air navigation system and TACAN has been selected as the type to be used on all military aircraft.

Nearly all Navy aircraft, except for a few special types, have been equipped with TACAN. This system will automatically provide the airborne pilot information on his exact location-the distance and direction of his plane from the station. The proposed line item will provide for a complete semifixed TACAN facility, including a mobile trailer containing the electronic equipment, air-conditioning for the equipment and the emergency power unit; a 40- by 80-foot hardstand, service road and control and communication cable interconnecting the TACAN with the operations building. Again the prin

cipal item of cost of this facility, $145,000, will be procurement and installation of electronic equipment.

The next line item needed for this station is a ground school and link trainer building at an estimated cost of $501,000. This is a typical requirement for a Naval air training station. The ground training syllabus will include 269 academic hours plus 19 hours in link trainers for a total of 288 hours.

With an input of 19 students per week, there will be 365 students undergoing training, with 183 students being in the building at any one time. Each student will receive 15 hours of ground training per week for a period of 19 weeks plus a total of 19 hours of link instruction. The building will be a two-story, T-shaped, concrete frame and masonry structure with 27,000 square feet of floor space. It will provide facilities for a ground school of 9 classrooms, a link classroom, 15 link trainers, instructors and administrative offices, library, conference and drafting room and mock-up room.

The sixth line item will provide a parachute loft at a cost of $118,000. This is needed for the rigging, airing, inspecting, packing, and storing of parachutes and the maintenance of survival gear. Normally, 3 percent of the total parachutes of the station will be processed each working day and all parachutes will be repacked once every 60 calendar days.

Space is also needed for the storage of the lifejackets and liferafts uned in training and for their periodic inspection, cleaning, and repair. There is no alternative facility within reasonable commuting distance of the station to which this gear could be sent for processing. It is essential that this facility be available before the start of the basic flight training. The building will provide about 5,184 square feet of floor space and will have a drying tower and single story gear processing and storage space. It will be of masonry construction with steel frame tower and cement-asbestos siding.

The seventh line item is for a public works shop and office building at an estimated cost of $230,000. When the development of this station has been completed it will have a plant value of about $60 million plus a planned on-station community of 320 units of Capehart housing. To maintain all these various buildings, utilities, pavements, and ground improvements, the station's public works department will have a force of 212 personnel. They will require office space and space for the various building trades shops, shop stores and toolroom. These spaces will be provided in the proposed building which will be a single story, masonry structure having 11,452 square feet of floor space.

The eighth line item will provide supply facilities at an estimated cost of $805,000. These facilities are basic to the effective operation of a station. They consist of three buildings, a paved open storage area, necessary utilities and a chain link fence to be erected around the storage area for protection against pilferage.

A warehouse at 103,617 square feet of floor space is needed for storage of aircraft parts, for general stores such as office supplies and equipment, rope, nails, cement, and similar items. These will be generally slow-moving items and the bulk backup stores of the faster moving items. A lean-to on the side of the warehouse will provide 3,125 square feet of floor area for offices. A smaller warehouse

of 5,453 square feet will be constructed for flammable stores such as paint and cleaning solvents. A bituminous paved open area of 3,724 square yards will be provided for storage of lumber, pipe, and other items not subject to rapid deterioration by the elements.

The next line item is a dispensary at the estimated cost of $726,000. Since there is no military hospital within reasonable distance of the station, a 10-bed dispensary is required for medical and dental care of the personnel. This will include the outpatient and inpatient care of the 2,203 planned military personnel, outpatient care for dependents in number of approximately 1,000; and emergency civilian outpatient care.

The dependents will be required to use local civilian inpatient medical facilities. The dispensary will be a single story, masonry structure having 18,868 square feet of floor space. It will include space for doctors, nurses, administrative spaces, dental and medical operating rooms, ward and quiet room, physical examination rooms, and medical storage.

The next four line items, Mr. Chairman, are to provide living and messing facilities for the military personnel assigned to operate the station.

The first of these is for 4 standard 252-man barracks buildings and a smaller barracks at an estimated cost of $2,497,000. The planned enlisted strength of the station is 1,599. It is estimated that approximately 480 enlisted men and their families will occupy Capehart housing planned for the station or housing in or around Meridian, leaving about 1,119 men to be accommodated in barracks. The buildings will be 3-story, concrete frame-and-masonry structures, designed for reasonably comfortable use in the local climate.

The next line item for this complex will be a messhall for $511,000. This is required for feeding the 1,119 enlisted men who will be living in the barracks and the 146 cadets. Since about 15 percent, or 170 enlisted men, will normally be on duty at mealtimes, a standard 1000man capacity messhall will be constructed with a wing of 2,200 square feet area to mess the 146 cadets.

The enlisted men's messhall will accommodate 304 men at one seating, so that it will be necessary to have about 313 seatings for each meal. Beside the dining room, the messhall will include a galley, serving line, food preparation, and storage rooms, office space and washrooms. The cadet dining room will have a seating capacity for 80 cadets and will include a serving line and small scullery. The dining spaces will be air-conditioned.

The third of these living facilities is for cadet quarters at a cost of $500,000. The planned cadet student loading for this station is 146 but at times the loading will reach peaks of 185 cadets. The cadet quarters are being planned to accommodate 150 cadets. The cadets will be berthed 2 to a room with bath and toilet facilities provided between adjacent rooms. Suitable recreation and lounge areas will be included in the air-conditioned building which will be a two-story, concrete frame-and-masonry structure.

The 13th line item for the station is the bachelor officer's quarters and mess at an estimated cost of $1,969,000. The officer strength is planned to be 239 for operation of the station and 219 student officers. We estimate that about 80 percent or 191 of the station officers will