The assistant secretary of defense was anxious to establish an early anti-ballistic missile capability and requested that the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC - now the Department of Energy) work with the army on a feasibility study of suitable nuclear warheads for Nike Zeus.
The assistant secretary of defense wanted to quickly create a missile defense system, so he asked the Atomic Energy Commission (now the Department of Energy) to work with the Army on a study to determine if certain nuclear warheads would be effective against Nike Zeus missiles.