A Checklist of U.S. Military Research Projects and Installations in New Zealand

a) University of Alaska Telluric Current Project. In 1962 the University of Alaska, under contract AF 19(604)6180 to the USAF Cambridge Research Laboratories, installed and operated a telluric current electrode array near Oamaru. Recordings were made from March 15 to July 31, a period which included a series of high altitude nuclear explosions at Johnston Island. Very low frequency receivers were also operated. The research was directed towards studying micropulsations and VLF phase variations as a method of detecting nuclear explosions, b) For most of 1967 an employee of International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation's Federal Laboratories-Aerospace was stationed at the Mt John Astronomical Observatory mapping a portion of the southern hemisphere sky to determine positions and intensities of infra-red stars. This is carried out on behalf of the Electronic Systems Division of the USAF Systems Command. The work is probably connected with development of methods of infra-red detection of missiles. c) Numerous oceanographic institutions have carried out U.S. Navy-financed research around New Zealand's shores. In 1968, for example, 5 research vessels from four institutions were active in the Tasman Sea alone. All this work is of direct military value, especially to the submarine fleet which needs a wide variety of information of wave motion, sea temperatures, salinity, sea bottom properties, and sea animal noises for the efficient functioning of sonar.