HISTORY - Page 64
evidenced in August 1958 and the reduction from four
JUPITER squadrons to three the following October. This
was not the end, for budgetary cuts in December 1958
again reduced the program when five of the R&D
missiles were deleted. At that time, the allocation line-
up included 11 R&D, 20 reliability and product
improvement, and 62 IOC. During the latter half of
1959, another missile was removed, which left the
total program figure at 92. From there, the figure went
to 93, and finally 94. Fifty-nine GSE sets made up the
total program in that respect
86
.
Deliveries of the IOC missiles to the Air Force began on
28 August 1958, and, at that time, 31 other JUPITER
missiles were in various stages of fabrication at the
Michigan Ordnance Missile Plant and ABMA. From
August until November 1958, ABMA continuously
reported that sufficient IOC missiles would be ready to
meet the December deployment date of the first
squadron. However, the lack of a firm agreement with
the host country caused DOD to direct a delivery
stretch-out. In this case, money could be saved, as the
necessity for contractor overtime was considerably
reduced. Also, the opportunity was presented to iron
out technical difficulties that had arisen in the NAA
propulsion system. When the agreements with NATO I
were concluded in August 1959 with an operational
readiness date of 1 May 1960, there was ample time to
deliver required missiles by the cheaper surface
shipment rather than the expensive air shipment that
had been planned for the December 1958 deployment.
By the time the agreements with NATO II had been
concluded, the total production program was ready for
delivery
87
.
_____________________________
86. Hist, ABMA, Jul-Dec 58, p. 8; DF, Ind Planning Off to Procurement Div, 4 Dec 58, subj:
Adjustments to JUP Msl Prog, Hist Off files.
87. Ibid.; JUP Prog Rpt for Nov 58, 8 Dec 58; Hist, ABMA, Jan-Jun 60, pp. 69-70; Hist, ABMA, Jul-
Dec 60, p. 56, Hist Off files.