Admiral WILSON. This was a test vehicle to develop the launching capability. It was not the operational missile. Senator ENGLE. Well, I am advised that there are extensive technical problems yet to be solved in connection with the POLARIS as a weapons system, and although I think it is fine to go ahead with it, I would certainly raise some questions about going head over heels here until we know we have something that is going to work from an operational standpoint, and that is the reason I raise this question. I assume they are going to work out these technical difficulties, and I am not expecting you people to answer these questions. I intend to pose these questions more directly to the Secretary of Defense in order that we can see precisely where we are; and it seems to me in the meantime that although we ought to make progress as far as we can on it, it is a mistake to get too far out on a limb before we know what we are doing. I have had some questions raised as to whether or not the POLARIS can overcome these problems, the technical problems. For instance, the Air Force, as I understand it, is having trouble equalizing the coordinates of gravity in order to fire a missile off a railroad track. I would like to find out how the Navy is going to get the gravity coordinates on a submarine touring around under the water. Maybe you fellows have the answer to that, and I am not going to burden the time of the committee here with it, Mr. Chairman, because I intend to submit these questions in detail to the Secretary of Defense. But it seems to me it would be a very grave error to commit ourselves clear over the cliff on the POLARIS until we know precisely what we are doing. Now, when are you going to have an operational POLARIS? Senator ENGLE. That means you will have one to sea, and you will have it out? Admiral WILSON. Yes, sir. Senator ENGLE. At that time you presumably will have solved the problems of stability of the platform in a three-dimensional medium, and be able to fire it with accuracy; is that right? Admiral WILSON. Yes, sir. Admiral CHEW. That is correct. Senator ENGLE. Have you done that at the present time? Admiral WILSON. The system has not been tested in its entirety, but the weapon has been tested; there have been many successful firings; simulated weapons have been fired from submerged test stands, and also from a submerged submarine. Senator ENGLE. I understand, but what I want to know is whether or not, as an operational weapons system, it has been proven, and that is the red light I am flashing about going overboard, and deciding that we have perfected an operational weapons system when we never put one in a submarine, put it to sea, and fired it under water, under what would be, would simulate, combat conditions. That is why I ask about this particular appropriation. I just did not know how far you were going with it. Admiral WILSON. Senator, this is not a request for funds. Senator ENGLE. I understand that. I understand it is not, but I detected an inclination to make assumptions which are not, in my opinion, on the information I have, justified by the facts, and I just wanted to find out how far we are going. This is the military construction bill. This is about all you have in for POLARIS? Admiral CHEW. We had some smaller requests. That will come in the classified area, too. Senator ENGLE. I would be glad to see you come in, too, for some funds for further development on POLARIS, but I want to be sure we are not committing ourselves to a series of installations programed for a number of these submarines when we haven't as yet proven that we can take it out to sea, get it under water, in rough water, and fire it at a position under water and, as I say, hit the broad side of a continent. That is the only thing that concerns me. Your testimony relieves my concern at this point. I understand that this facility brings this into a position to serve nuclear submarines and the POLARIS weapons system presently in the program? Admiral WILSON. That is right. Senator ENGLE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. All right, you are over on page 60. Shall we continue? OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES SHIPYARD FACILITIES Admiral CHEW. Mr. Chairman, we are now prepared to discuss the Navy's requirements for stations outside the United States. The first class in this group is shipyard facilities, which consists of only two projects for $1,108,000. Both of these projects are required to further the important field of oceanographic research. NAVAL FACILITY, BERMUDA The first project is at the Naval Facility, Bermuda, for replacement and enlargement of temporary buildings at the estimated cost of $908,000. The existing buildings are quonset huts which are too small to house satisfactorily the two sets of terminal equipment now being used, a third additional set which is required, and other associated equipment. Also the huts have deteriorated to the point where the very valuable equipment is in danger of serious damage by wind, dust, and rain. The new terminal equipment building will provide adequate space for the equipment together with the temperature and humidity control necessary for its proper operation. In addition, a second small new building will replace three quonset hut generator buildings, a quonset hut recreation and training building and a quonset hut administration building. Senator STENNIS. It does not show any investment there now. Admiral CHEW. The existing buildings we have there now, sir, are for oceanographic research, and they are quonset huts. This is purely to provide a building over the existing equipment in substandard quonset huts. Senator STENNIS. You do not have anything here for Cuba, do you? Admiral CHEW. We do not, sir. Senator STENNIS. That is page 60. NAVAL FACILITY, RAMEY AIR FORCE BASE, P.R. Admiral CHEW. Next is page 61. The final shipyard facilities project is at the naval facility located at the Ramey Air Force Base, P.R. It is for construction of a technical equipment building at the estimated cost of $200,000. This is needed for the same reason as the preceding project but on a smaller scale. The existing quonset hut houses only one set of terminal equipment. This hut is also deteriorated so much that damage to the equipment can only be prevented by construction of the proposed new structure. Senator STENNIS. All right. Next item. FLEET BASE FACILITIES JOINT U.S. MILITARY MISSION, GOLCUK, TURKEY Admiral CHEW. There is only one project in this class for an oversea activity. It is for construction of 27 sets of family housing at the estimated cost of $675,000. These units are for 7 married U.S. naval officers and 20 enlisted men and their families assigned to the joint U.S. military mission at Golcuk, Turkey. The mission of this Navy group is to provide to the Turkish Government advice and assistance in matters pertaining to naval operation, training, and maintenance for Turkish naval personnel related to ships, equipment, and ammunition. There are available now only four sets of quarters in quonset huts. Community housing in Golcuk is scarce and substandard. Some resentment is caused by the competition for the more desirable housing since U.S. naval personnel can better afford to pay higher rental charges than the Turkish naval personnel. Senator STENNIS. You are going to fund those this year? Admiral CHEW. Yes, sir; these were originally under Commodity Credit and this is to pay the Commodity Credit Corporation back, sir. Senator STENNIS. Just a matter of bookkeeping? Admiral CHEW. This is bookkeeping; yes, sir. Senator STENNIS. All right. Next item. NAVAL WEAPONS FACILITIES Admiral CHEW. The third group of projects for oversea stations is naval weapons facilities. These include 14 line items at 8 stations at a total cost of $11,718,000 in section 201 and 1 line item at a classified station in the amount of $66,000 in section 202 of the bill. All of these stations directly support the operating forces. NAVAL AIR STATION, AGANA, GUAM, MARIANA Page 63, Mr. Chairman. The first project is at the Naval Air Station, Agana, Guam, Mariana Islands, for improvements to aviation fuel system at the estimated cost of $822,000. Fuel delivered from the existing system is far below the quality required for safe flight of aircraft due to the presence of contaminants resulting from the pipeline sludge deposits. The present 8-inch pipeline from the Sasa Valley fuel farm to the air station requires alteration so that the line may be purged of the contaminants by scraping periodically to guarantee the delivery of clean fuel. In addition, the existing fuel tanks are rusted beyond economical repair and must be replaced. This project will correct this unsafe condition by providing for scraper inserts, sludge tanks, three underground fuel tanks plus the related facilities needed to make this a usable system. Senator STENNIS. Those are a few remnants that are left, Senator Engle, throughout the world. They have been modernizing, as you know, on this fuel system, and I think they are about through. NAVAL STATION, ARGENTIA, NEWFOUNDLAND Admiral CHEW. The next one is page 64 for construction of a communication land line at an estimated cost of $462,000. Senator STENNIS. What is that? Admiral CHEW. These are underground cables between the two sections of the field, and they are deteriorated beyond economical replacement. Senator STENNIS. Without objection. Next item. NAVAL AIR STATION, ATSUGI, JAPAN Admiral CHEW. Page 65. These are for two line items at Atsugi, Japan, for $416,000. The first is for construction of a liquid oxygen plant, and the second is for electrical power plant at an estimated cost of $35,000—the former is at an estimated cost of $61,000, sir. Normally, in the United States, we buy our liquid oxygen. Unfortunately in Japan, it is not up to our specifications and cannot be used, so we have to provide our own generating equipment for liquid oxygen in Japan. Senator STENNIS. You have to put up your own powerplants there, too, is that right? Admiral CHEW. We are buying our power from the Japanese, but they have 50-cycle power, and certain of our electronic equipment needs 60-cycle power. This is to provide for those safety aids, radars, and so on, that operate on 60-cycle. Senator STENNIS. Is the powerplant to run the liquid oxygen plant?' Admiral CHEW. No, sir. Senator STENNIS. All right. Next item. MARINE CORPS AIR FACILITY, IWAKUNI, JAPAN Admiral CHEW. That is page 66, sir, and this is the Marine Corps air facility at Iwakuni, Japan, for improvement of a runway, similar to our runway improvement program at other stations. This is the portion of the runway that is a thin rigid pavement laid on poor subgrade, and this is merely to improve it, sir. Senator STENNIS. What is your cost ratio in Japan as compared to the United States? Admiral PELTIER. It is a cost factor of about one. It is about the same as in the United States. Our concrete pavements have been coming a little cheaper there than we have been getting here. Japanese cement is a little cheaper than American cement. Senator ENGLE. May I ask a question at this point? Senator STENNIS. Certainly. Senator ENGLE. What consideration is being given by the Navy with respect to the permanency of these facilities overseas? I recall the experience we had in Morocco. I went over there for the Air Force, it seems to me, in 1954, on active duty, and I looked that situation over, and I told them they were going to get run out of Morocco. They did not believe it at the time, but subsequent events have proven that what I said was precisely right. Here they were building these immense cement football fields all hooked together to make runways. Senator STENNIS. Where was that? Senator ENGLE. It was in Morocco, Nouasseur, and those other bases. Senator STENNIS. What year? Senator ENGLE. I think it was 1954. And I complained to the Air Force then that they ought to minimize their expenses and do a good many things. I will not go into detail about it, but it was so obvious to me that we were not going to be able to stay there. Now, we go into these places and we make these vast improvements. I understand that Japan is inclined to want to be on its own and get rid of American troops. How much consideration is given in these kind of operations as to how long we can stay? Admiral WILSON. We give a great deal of consideration to that, Senator, and we are very sensitive to the changing situation worldwide. Senator STENNIS. We are not really spending any large money now in Japan, are we? Admiral WILSON. No, sir. Admiral CHEW. This is really a safety item. Admiral WILSON. Continuing to operate our Air Force safely. Senator ENGLE. It is merely to maintain your existing runways, so they will not catch one of their wheels in a chuckhole. Admiral PELTIER. There is not much that you can do with a runway. You have to take care of the wheel load, you have to go to concrete or dense asphaltic concrete pavement. There is not much else you can do. This happens to be the cheapest of the two methods. But I note in our powerplant here we are going to have a steel frame |