deployment date was rapidly approaching. Added to this, the mobility concept was deleted in 19 November 1958 80 . Some of the tension was relaxed, however, for by that time it was realized that the necessary agreements would not be signed in time for the December employment. This afforded an opportunity for equipment refinement and matching and mating work. On the other hand, this stretch-out indicated that measures would have to be taken to adequately store missiles and equipment until the agreement was consummated. Mention has been made of the fact that ABMA technical experts considered JUPITER GSE to be one year behind. In some respects, the problem was not as adverse as this connotes. For example, from the outset of the program, ABMA made a concerted effort to fabricate its R&D GSE in a design that would be suitable for tactical employment. This pattern held true with the launcher, transport equipment, and other JUPITER peculiar GSE components. With the in- house design and fabrication, necessary changes manifested during the R&D firing program could be integrated with ease, and each change moved the equipment nearer to the tactical configuration. During this systematic hardware buildup, it was also possible to design suitable checkout gear. Perhaps one of the most important assets during the GSE buildup phase was the on-hand experience in other large ballistic missile programs. Drawing on this experience, equipment was simplified. In this way, complex and expensive hydraulic erection was rejected for the better lightweight mode; a ring- type launcher was used rather than the more complicated fall-away leg type; and an inexpensive one-time use cryogenic cooler was selected over an expensive electric cooler for use in the countdown phase 81 . _____________________________

(80) JUP Mo Prog Rpts throughout 1958 constantly list late deliveries by the contractors. See Appendix 6 for the contractor break-out structure for fabrication in the development of the JUPITER missile system. (81) Spec Rpt on JUP GSE for Holaday Ad Hoc Committee, 3 Oct 57, Hist Off files. .