1 November 1960. This plan was based on an assumption that the starting date of the program would be October 1955 with the first flight test of a REDSTONE to support research mission assignments for development of the 1,500-mile missile. Fifteen such vehicles would be used in the first stage of the program. Thereafter, a 50-missile prototype test program was contemplated. For strictly R&D purposes, there would be 40 missiles. The other 10 missiles would serve the dual purpose of R&D and engineer-user testing and would be instrumented to satisfy both requirements. This planning was based on experience in the REDSTONE development program, and was the basis for OCO's $240 million estimate 12 . Department of Defense Decision Now that It was generally conceded that a requirement existed for a 1,500-mile range ballistic missile, the matter at hand was the adoption of the specific technical development pursuit from the several existing plans. For example, the development plan proposed by the Air Force in January 1955 was still active, and OCO as late as September was suggesting that the team at Redstone be used to accomplish the work. Air Force officials indicated that they would like to see the team broken up and assigned to its various activities to effect development, but Secretary of the Army Wilbur M, Brucker objected to such fragmentation. At this point, the Secretary of Defense, Charles E. Wilson, decided there would be two IRBM’s developed, one of which would cover land- and sea-based requirements 13 . ______________________________

12. Memo, OCRD to D/CS for Plans and Resh, 1 Aug 55, subj: 1,500-mile Msl Costs, R&D; Pam 70-10, p. 119; RSA OML Study, 7 Sep 55, subj: OML Ball GM Props for Range of 1,500 NM. 13. Hist, ABMA, 1 Feb-30 Jun 56, p. 3, Hist Off files; ABMA Ref Book, Part I, JUF, Tab A-4; House Rpt Nr 67, op. cit., p. 23.