The Joint Chiefs of Staff had appointed the Air Force as âExecutive Agentâ for taking charge of the Jupiter removal from Italy and Turkey, and Air Force General William Senter signed off on the plan of action. Under the plan, the Jupiterâs classified components, including the warheads and guidance systems, would be returned to the United States, while remaining portions of the missiles were to be rendered âunidentifiable,â the meaning of which was described in detail (PDF p. 7): removal of the missiles from launching areas, separating the engines from the missiles, dismantling âsub-systems,â and âorderly disposition of the remaining components.â This was consistent with the Joint Staffâs recommendations for salvage procedures to ensure that both Italy and Turkey had access to useful non-sensitive equipment and parts. Under the plan, various U.S. military organizations, including the Italian and Turkish Air Forces, would have specific responsibilities, which were described in detail as were procedures for the return of the warheads, re-entry vehicles and guidance systems to the United States.
The dismantling operation in Italy, nicknamed Pot Pie I, would begin on April 1, while the operation in Turkey, Pot Pie II, would begin on April 15, with a âminimum of publicityâ in both countries. The plan would be classified as âConfidential NOFORN,â although, as noted, elements of it were to be shared with Italian and Turkish officials.