 from Korea to Germany, from Alaska to Puerto Rico. All over the world, the United States Army is on the alert to defend our country, you, the American people, against aggression. This is the big picture, an official television report to the nation from the United States Army. Now, to show you part of the big picture, here is Captain Carl Zimmerman. In the past, we have talked to you about the soldier and his weapons. Today, the big picture concerns itself with the research and development necessary to provide those weapons. The tools for a modern army, tools that help ensure our freedom. In World War II, the importance of technological warfare was fully recognized. The scientist and the engineer became as important as the military commander. Military research and development are working at a tremendous scale to perfect better tools for a modern army. In a world faced with the threat of global war capable of destroying entire cities with one lightning stroke, we want to make it clear to any potential aggressor that such a war would result in terrible retaliation. Thus, the purpose of our program of scientific study and experimentation is to ensure our unapproachable superiority in the techniques and weapons of war. The federal government has made research and development a national effort, with the armed forces, industry and universities all over the country pulling together for national defense. The job of research is to uncover the facts of nature regardless of their final application. Einstein's theory of relativity led to the creation of the atom bomb, while early discoveries by Hertz and Tesla of radio echoes led to the development of radar. It is the job of development to take the facts uncovered by research and convert them into devices that will assure us technological supremacy. I'm a soldier, mister. I couldn't tell you too much about Einstein's theories, but I could tell you what it's like to take part in an atom bomb test held at Camp Desert Rock in Nevada. Soldiers of my outfit, the 11th Airborne Division, were issued film badges which would show the amount of radiation received. One badge was for our own safety, even though we would be stationed at a safe distance from the blast. The other badges were placed on each weapon and piece of equipment left for testing purposes, close to the blast area. I guess everyone there, from the generals right on down to the privates, had a funny feeling in the pit of their stomach just before the explosion. Did we feel after the blast? Well, here's what one of the fellows had to say when interviewed by an army reporter. Can you tell us whether you think that the orientation you had for this weapon prepared you for what you saw out here? Yes, sir, it did. I'm not in the fear that you felt. Did they prepare you against that? Yes, sir, they did. They told us enough so that, well, our fear was cutting on so much more than it was before the orientation that we hardly had any fear at all. Would you have the confidence that you'd be able to go right in there now and carry out your tactical mission a few minutes after the blast? Yes, sir. How close do you think, now that you've seen it, you'd be willing to be? Well, sir, I'll tell you that after I see them positioned. Ah, well, you know you dug some fox holes about a few miles away and you're going to see just what things look like in there. Yes. What are you going to do after you look at your positions? Well, if we look at the positions, we'll pick up our weapons and we'll move in toward ground zero, see what the area looks like in more and towards... Did you feel, now after it's all over, that you've had a big let down at any disappointment in this weapon? No, sir, there's no disappointment. No disappointment? Certainly a powerful weapon. I can't understand anything, so beautiful can be so destructive. After the blast, the radiation inspection teams go to work. They give the all clear signal and we know it's okay to move into the target area. Weapons and equipment are checked for damage by specialists. A battered tree shows the approach to the ground zero area after a successful test in which we learned something about the possibilities of close atom bomb support to troops in the field. Today, the idea of global war is most important in the military thinking of the great nations. Global war means fighting in every kind of climate on every kind of terrain. Fighting carried on by highly trained forces, widely dispersed and swiftly maneuvered. An ability to bring overwhelming force immediately to bear on any portion of the globe has a warning to would be aggressors. Research and development, therefore, improves equipment that will enable scattered troops to operate with more firepower and mobility. As an ordinance officer, I'm proud of the part we played in the development of the 280 millimeter gun, which, unlike the atomic bomb, can deliver an atomic or conventional shell on target in all kinds of weather day or night. At this demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground, the public and military leaders got a good look at our 85 ton giant. The weapon can fire with accuracy at short range and is four times more accurate at long range than any mobile artillery piece developed prior to World War II. Despite its weight, the gun can travel on highways or cross country and can even fit into a landing ship designed for amphibious operations. This new weapon can give the kind of devastating close support to ground troops never before available in the history of warfare. The nation's scientists, both in and out of uniform, are constantly probing the skies above for valuable information. At White Sands in New Mexico, rockets loaded with instruments instead of explosives are sensoring miles above the Earth's surface to discover the secrets of the outer atmosphere. The flight path of these rockets are carefully checked by electronic and optical equipment. Specially designed telescopes and cameras place the rocket on its rapid trip through space. Electronic devices compute the final results and additional information becomes available for development of benefits for peace as well as weapons for war. The deadliness of many weapons has been increased by the use of the uncanny VT fuse which detonates its loaded explosive on the target or at a predetermined distance above it. Ordnance has perfected automatic fire to the point where it has graduated from small arms into the big leagues. Progressive engine design has created a much lighter power plant as in the new Army M-48 tank. The engine takes up even less space than the old model tank engines. That M-48 can turn on a dime and move quickly over flat terrain. Not only does the new tank possess greater firepower and speed, but it can also pass with flying colors the most tortuous of obstacles such as an 8-foot gap without losing traction or braking. It is a new iron fist for the Army that will pack a terrific wallop. Engineer pottons are being constructed of aluminum for easy portability. In addition, lightweight plastic assault boats have been developed which are as strong and seaworthy as any metal boat and yet may be mass produced at far less cost. Let me tell you a story of how civilian industry came through for national defense. The transportation corps wanted to develop a new amphibious cargo carrier somewhat like the World War II duck, but designed to transport heavy equipment such as tanks, trucks and even small locomotives from ships offshore to supply points well inland from the beach. Models were constructed and tested. Industry planners put their heads together and 13 months later the first of the 60 ton amphibious cargo carriers known as the Bark was ready for delivery to the Army. Behind that rapid delivery date were hundreds of industry man hours devoted to designing, building and testing of this new tool for our modern Army. The need was great. We took up the challenge and now we're mighty proud of a job well done. You know science is amazing. I work in the Army signal corps, research engineering labs where we're shrinking heavy communication equipment down to size. Now in this telephone exchange the largest component weighs 800 pounds. It's down to 200 in this new model. The bulky walkie-talkie no longer gives the soldier an aching back. The current model is lighter in weight, more compact and most important more efficient. The old style handy talkie has been redesigned for compactness in our signal corps engineering reducing cello making it much more powerful. Since the unit now contains 14 tubes instead of the original five. Yes the World War II workhorse has been equipped with new power and a new look which makes it more comfortable to use. The materials have led to a new technique of aerial laying of communication wires. This new method saves precious fighting time by hurtling terrain obstacles. The theory of global warfare means that the highways of the air will be used for tactical purposes. Forming the chief routes for attack and movement of troops and supplies. World War II saw the successful transfer of airborne troops with specialized equipment. Now with increased portability of arms and material, military science is aiming at the goal of transporting complete armies by air and army research and development is dedicated to this major goal. A medium tank formally was much too heavy to be moved by the ordinary cargo plane. Today this lighter tank stripped down can be shuttled by air to the place where it is needed to support troops. Big trucks and heavy artillery may now be air dropped by using the newly developed cluster type parachutes. Here a 9,000 pound platform is dropped by air with the help of this new type chute. Loads 60 times heavier than those in World War II may be dropped in this manner. I'd like to tell you something about my job as a pilot in Army Light Aviation. Here are some of the planes that the Army uses for the 101 assignments that come up where a bigger plane would be useless. But the most spectacular tool of the Army Light Aviation program is the helicopter. Now these gawky birds are capable of quickly moving troops and supplies in direct support of the infantrymen, helping him accomplish his mission of gaining and holding ground. And don't let the awkwardness of these little giants fool you, for they play a big part in defending our country. Helicopters may be used to bring in badly needed artillery pieces to isolated areas. Air rescue work is performed that could not be otherwise accomplished by conventional aircraft. A quick exit from a tight spot can be a welcome relief. Helicopters have also proven themselves to be angels of mercy, having helped evacuate over 10,000 wounded soldiers since the outbreak of the Korean campaign. Quick evacuation probably accounted for the fact that 98 out of every 100 of those wounded men lived to tell about it. Our country's military strategists foresee Arctic and sub-Arctic areas as future theaters of conflict. At Big Delta, Alaska, the Army maintains an indoctrination and testing center where troops are trained to live and fight in the Arctic cold. The question of resupply of isolated stations is one of the major problems of the far north. The Army vehicle, known as the Otter, travels cross-country, proving it's a better way to travel over windswept highways as well as snowy wastelands. The Otter rendezvous with a sled dog team and supplies are transferred. Like the pack mule and mountain terrain, dog teams are still useful where mechanized equipment cannot travel. This dog sled team, maintained by the Arctic indoctrination school, is carrying supplies to an isolated instructor station, and the mush of the old Klondike is still heard as the Army's far north canine core delivers the goods. In a test area, four different kinds of tanks are put through a performance test where they are checked for their ability to move swiftly over the snow. Plunging over the open snow fields, that tank driver views a notion of white as these modern fortresses of steel break a trail through the Arctic wilderness. At the training center, infantry squads move out for a hike on skis and snowshoes. Wind-whipped snow turns the cross-country march into a real struggle with the elements. At a designated position, infantrymen set up their weapons. Other soldiers prepare for an overnight bivouac. A new wrinkle is the plywood igloo, an experimental unit, larger and more comfortable than the conventional tent or snow igloo. The unit may be swiftly erected from prefabricated parts. The finishing touches, a pine needle floor made up of fur branches cut from nearby trees. Together with a snug sleeping bag, provide the soldier with almost all the comforts of home. However, the extreme cold of these far corners of the world magnifies the strain of physical exertion. For at present, 75 to 90 percent of the soldier's time is given over to survival, leaving little time for military operations. We in the quartermaster corps know that every additional ounce the soldier has to carry means loss in operating efficiency. So a soldier's clothes are constantly being improved. This is an experimental vapor barrier cold weather suit developed by the quartermaster corps. Mold plastic rubber-like garment is worn next to the skin and is impervious to water. Soldier volunteers jump into cold water to prove the insulation quality of the new vapor suit and to show its floatability, even with a 26-pound pack attached. The two-piece garment is a step toward developing a winter uniform which may make United States soldiers of the future non-freezable and unsinkable. Another development of the quartermaster corps is a body armor resembling boxer shorts. Weighing only four pounds, the body armor is designed to protect the soldier's hips, abdomen and groin from low-velocity missiles. The new shorts are scheduled soon to be tested by troops under fire in Korea. No research project is being studied more completely than that concerned with combat rations. Food packages are being jammed with greater nourishment than ever before and are being redesigned for more compactness and less weight. Research, too, is being conducted on the necessary nutrition requirements for operational rations. This study is but one of many being conducted by universities, technical schools and government agencies, in cooperation with over 500 industrial food organizations. At the Army's climatic field station in the desert near Yuma, Arizona, the quartermaster corps studies experimental uniforms and items of equipment in relation to the intense heat. During exercise scorcher, soldiers sweat it out to provide important information for uniform and equipment design. Recording instruments register body surface temperatures, as soldiers equipped with new items of quartermaster issue prepare for a test hike over the hot sands. A lookout keeps a close watch on the soldiers during the exhausting hike. Perspiration dries quickly and is only visible immediately after a man stops. But dehydration is constantly taking place. Therefore, the soldiers usually drink at least a gallon and a half of water during each test. The crawl test checks the performance of men and materials exposed to the arid wastes. At an area close by, a squad from an experimental company determines the ability of soldiers to maneuver over the sandy terrain. Today's ultramechanized Army demands exacting performance of machines. Machines operate on fuel, lubricants and fuels that must prove satisfactory at high temperatures and must also allow equipment to operate at extreme cold temperature ranges. This need calls for research into the basic nature of fuels and lubricants. We hope to learn how to keep liquids constantly fluid at all temperatures, even in the freezing cold of the Arctic. In projects such as this, the help of private industry is invaluable because of its tremendous resources and years of experience. The human machine is also under intense study to increase the stamina and resistance of the fighting man. Some of the greatest counterweapons military science help to develop were in the medical field. Sulfur drugs. Penicillin. While the many benefits of these germ killers are still being explored, military science has pursued studies and feels not ordinarily within the scope of civilian medicine. Carefully organized experiments were conducted as part of the N-O-E talk bomb tests to determine the effects of burns, concussion and radioactivity on living beings. Samples of military weapons and tools were placed at various distances from the tower containing the bomb. Delicate measuring instruments were put inside weapons in order to record valuable blast information. Buildings were constructed to determine the best type of structure able to resist the tremendous blast impact of an atomic bomb. The tower which housed the bomb stood on the zero island and was under armed guard day and night with rigid security measures in force. Radar scammed the skies. Military police got to the beaches. And finally, time for the detonation of the bomb arrived. Frontier of human knowledge left unexplored by the scouts of military research and development. From their trailblazing, there will emerge a more secure American. A nation as nearly invulnerable to aggression has a strong military establishment armed by technological superiority can make it. Only we must not rest on the accomplishments of the past. Time and money are needed to produce the best tools and equipment possible. The price of liberty, a great American once said, is eternal vigilance. We must be watchful. We must be alert. We must be stronger than any potential foe. And that is the story of the challenge of technological discovery that is being met daily in factories and laboratories all over this country. Enabling the United States to maintain a strong defense. We're proud of the men and women both in and out in uniform who in this way are helping preserve the peace. The Big Picture is a weekly television report to the nation on the activities of the Army at home and overseas. Produced by the Signal Corps Pictorial Center. Presented by the U.S. Army in cooperation with this station. You can be an important part of the Big Picture. You can proudly serve with the best equipped, the best trained, the best fighting team in the world today. The United States Army.