0800069 - Atomic Weapons Orientation Part Three - Special Weapons Orientation: Weapons Family; Atomic Weapons Orientation Part Four - Atomic Weapons Support Operations - 1961 - 18:54 - Black&White and Color - Two Films on One Video
Atomic Weapons Orientation Part Three - Special Weapons Orientation: Weapons
Family - 6:32 - This video shows U.S. stockpiles nuclear weapons up to 1961. The
stockpile includes early airdrop fission weapons, Mark (Mk)-3, Mk-4, Mk-5, Mk-6,
Mk-6/18, Mk-7, Mk-8, Mk-12, and Mark-9, the artillery atomic projectile. A live
test of the Mk-9 fired from a 280mm cannon is shown. This was the 15-kiloton
GRABLE test conducted on May 25, 1953, as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole.
Atomic Weapons Orientation Part Four - Atomic Weapons Support Operations - 12:22
- The special contributions of nuclear weapons technicians are featured in this
video. They inspected, maintained, modified and modernized nuclear weapons at
various storage and operation field sites. The video shows training conducted at
the Defense Atomic Support Agency’s nuclear weapons school in Albuquerque and
the U.S. Air Force’s weapons school at Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado.
Technicians are shown conducting "fire test set" inspections on all branches of
the armed services.
The narrator explains that the storage, maintenance, inspection and modification
of nuclear weapons is part of the "mine to stockpile sequence." Also, the video
shows that the technicians are a vital part of the "stockpile to target
sequence" as they prepare weapons for shipment, load weapons onto strike
aircraft, and maintain and modify weapons at forward field sites.
Footage is shown of weapons being loaded on a B-52 and a smaller attack
aircraft. The narrator explains that the major function of a technician was to
"make the weapon ready for the day when by Presidential decree, nuclear weapons
would be sent out on intercontinental bombers, tactical aircraft, missiles, and
carrier-deployed aircraft to the target areas."