An assessment of the then unknown effects of atomic weaponry upon a naval fleet was a high postwar priority, resulting in the formation of a Joint Task Force to plan and execute atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in the summer of 1946. Known as Operation Crossroads, these tests were to be conducted on a large array of unmanned target ships to determine the effects of atomic explosions on a variety of vessel types.
An assessment of the unexplored impacts of atomic weapons on naval fleets was a significant postwar concern, resulting in the formation of a Joint Task Force for atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. These trials were intended to evaluate the effects of atomic explosions on various vessel types.