This is part 3 of 4 of the documentary Strategic Policy.

Operation Dominic was the last atmospheric test series by the United States before the Limited Test Ban Treaty (which banned atmospheric, underwater, and space testing of nuclear weapons). In 1961, Russia broke the 1958 moratorium on testing (which was essentially a voluntary moratorium) with a new test series which included the testing of a 50 Megaton prototype of a 100 Megaton thermonuclear bomb. The device used in the 50 Megaton test was not a practical weapon, as it's physical size required special modification of the delivery aircraft, and the weight of the bomb was close to the design limits of the plane. In response to Russia's resuming tests, the United States planned Operation Dominic. Operation Dominic had several test phases, airdrop tests for weapons development at Christmas Island, two tests by the U.S. Navy of operational weapon systems (the Polaris SLBM, and the ASROC antisubmarine missile), and Fishbowl, a series of high altitude tests to study ballistic warhead kill mechanisms and ionospheric/electromagnetic effects (with some weapon development airdrops added at Johnstom Island). Ironically, two of the Fishbowl tests were conducted during the Cuban Missile Crisis, with the Checkmate shot on October 20th, and the Bluegill Triple Prime test on October 26th.