HISTORY - Page 63
Production and Delivery
As may be surmised, production plans for the JUPITER
program were as changeable as all other facets of
operation. In the beginning, a 50-missile test program
was planned involving a composite of JUPITER C's for
re-entry vehicle tests, JUPITER A’s for component
testing, and the JUPITER configured missile. During this
time, ABMA was involved in a production schedule of
about two missiles per month. The roles and missions
statement of November 1956 posed the initial threat
to the program, and the withdrawal of the Navy in
January 1957 further placed the program in a
precarious position. However, it was August 1957
before the Secretary of Defense directed that the
production schedule be limited to one missile per
month, pending a decision as to the IRBM that would
be selected for weaponization
84
.
The Secretary's decision was in effect for only a short
time, for in October 1957 weaponization of the THOR
and the JUPITER was directed. In turn, this released
the production schedule to the two missiles per month
immediately, and, on 27 November, notice was
received that production was to be held to a
maximum of five JUPITER missiles
85
per month. Briefly,
the total program, that is, R&D and IOC, was set at 125
missiles. After that, for one reason or another,
adjustments were made upwards and downwards.
During most of FY 1958, that is, after the program was
refined subsequent to the October 1957 decision, the
approved program called for 36 R&D missiles, 62 IOC
missiles, ground equipment for three squadrons, and
prototype and training equipment. Here, the program
had been influenced by the budgetary cut first
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84. Plan, ABMA Plan for IRBM-2 Msl Dev, FY 56-57, 23 Feb 56; Memo, S/D to S/A, 13 Aug 57,
subj: IRBM Prog, Hist Off files.
85. Msg, DA to ABMA, 27 Nov 57, Hist Off files