Optimum Size and Hardness of Sites for Storage of Nuclear Weapons

Abstract

A study is made of the optimum size and hardness of sites for the storage of a certain portion of the national stockpile of nuclear weapons. These weapons can be stored in existing nuclear sites, nonnuclear sites converted for the storage of nuclear weapons, and new sites built for this purpose. The principal questions considered are. To what extent should existing and converted sites be used for this purpose? Should unoccupied sites be used as decoys? What are the optimum size and hardness of new sites? Should the sites be compact or dispersed over large areas? Methods are developed to answer these questions under certain limitations. The rough estimates obtained from this analysis would need to be adjusted to allow for variations from the average conditions at the individual sites.