WAR DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES
WASHINGTON
March 17, 1942
MEMORANDUM FOR MR. HOPKINS: (The White House )
Subject: ASV and AI Equipment.
1. Last Sunday the President asked me certain questions about our ASV and AI equipment. I
told him that I had forgotten the letter designations and accordingly could not give him a
complete picture. Here, however, is the complete picture.
a. ASV Equipment (To determine the location of surface vessels at sea. Distance of
pickup about 60 miles. )
We are now equipping 22 B-24's.
8 of these B-24's have been shipped to Panama.
2 will leave within the next few days.
A total of 38 B-24's so equipped will be sent to Panama.
10 B-18's are being equipped for training purposes.
b. AI. Equipment - British (To intercept aircraft).
This equipment is being installed on a modified A-20. Equipment is coming out at the
rate of about 10 this month and building up to 75 in August. We have some equipment installed
on A-20's for instructional purposes.
c. AI-10 - American.
We have some of these already delivered and installed in training equipment for our
schools. Production on this equipment starts in April and builds up to 200 a month by next
November.
d. Planes will be available for installation of the AI equipment where needed.
2. Our present plans contemplate a total of about 38 ASV's on airplanes being used in
Panama.
H.H. ARNOLD
Lieutenant Beneral, U.S.A.
Commanding General, Army Air Forces.