130 OCEAN SCIENCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY 



In this report the Academy recommended a minimal program for long-term 

 growth at an achievable rate in training of scientific manpower, construction of 

 adequate ships and laboratories, as well as a technical program for research and 

 ocean surveys. 



The Interagency Committee concurred generally rvith the National Academy and 

 concluded that the report accurately stated the Nation's scientific ?ieeds in oceanography. 

 [Emphasis supplied.] In the development of a national oceanographic program, 

 we are concerned on the one hand with the assessment of the needs of oceanog- 

 raphy and, on the other, with the limitations upon its development. The critical 

 limitations are scientific manpower, funds, and time. Of course, I refer to a 

 special kind of time — leadtime for the construction of ships and shore labora- 

 tories and for the training of the additional scientists. 



The Interagency Committee recommended to the Federal Council that the 

 United States undertake a substantial and orderly expansion of activity in 

 oceanography. The Committee stated that vigorous action must be taken to 

 stimulate the growth of educational programs, that a permanent interagency 

 committee should be established to review and coordinate the national effort and 

 that international cooperation is essential to the research and survey program. 



These recommendations were accepted and endorsed by the Federal Council. 



The Interagency Committee then developed by joint planning the budget for 

 a 10-year national program to implement these general recommendations. In 

 the development of the initial funding request for this program in the fiscal year 

 1961 budget, the agencies had to consider other competing needs of their respec- 

 tive departments while striving to give greater support to oceanography'. 



The total fvmding requested for the oceanographic program in fiscal year 1961 

 totals about $56 million, an increase of almost 50 percent over the fiscal year 1960 

 level of $37 million. For the previous year, fiscal year 1959, funds for this work 

 amounted to $24 million.^s 



I feel that this program provides for growth at a reasonable rate and that it 

 satisfies the most critical needs of the departments and agencies in the field of 

 oceanography. 



All of the Secretaries of the departments and heads of the agencies represented 

 on the Interagency Committee have indicated to me that they consider this 

 Committee an eff"ective means for achieving coordination and cooperation in 

 our national program. I believe that this organization, assisted by working 

 groups or panels comprised of representatives from the interested Federal agencies 

 will be responsive to the needs of this country. 



What will a 10-year program require in terms of funds, facilities, and man- 

 power? The National Academy of Sciences report indicated that the program 

 would cost $651 million in 1958 dollars over and above the rate at which the 

 program was then being supported. This estimate is probably low when trans- 

 lated into 1961 dollars because the cost of doing business has increased. 



Also, we believe that the unit cost of construction of ships has been under- 

 estimated. Taking these factors into consideration, the Interagency Committee 

 has estimated that the total cost will approximate $1 Inllion during the 10-year 

 program if our goal to double our present capability is to be realized. This is a 

 modest goal when the level of our present knowledge is considered in relation to 

 our needs. And I would like to say that doubling the present activity in oceanog- 

 raphy will require more than doubling the rate of expenditures because of the 

 capital investments required. 



The Interagency Committee has estimated the major cost elements of the 

 10-year program to be as follows: 



(a) Oceanographic research and ship operations, $490 million. 



(b) Ocean surveys and ship operations, $144 inilHon. 



(c) Construction of 78 new ships and facilities, $405 million. 



In the first few years the annual cost of this program will of necessity be greater 

 than the average cost per year over the 10-year period because of the immediate 

 need for additional sliips and shore facilities — both are high cost, long leadtime 

 items. Little expansion can take place unless these capital items are provided. 



The United States currently operates about 52 ships, mostly of small size, for 

 oceanographic research and surveys. About 30 of these will require replacement 

 during the next 10 years because they will be overage. 



The recommended 10-year program requires the construction of 78 new ships 

 of sizes varyi ng from about 500 tons to about 4,000 tons. Conversion of existing 



88 See Table 25 for a comparison with initial estimates by ICO. 



