Follow-up Program
The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a directive in January 1948 for the modification of 225 B-29, B-50, and B-36 bombers to carry nuclear weapons. The project was intended to be completed by December 1948 and was known by the code name "Gem". The modification of 80 B-29s was authorized by Air Materiel Command project DOM-595C, known as Saddletree.
The project included "winterization" of 36 B-29s for operating from Arctic bases, and the modification of 36 others to have an air refueling capability under project DOM-599C ("Ruralist"). With the addition of the 80 Saddletree bombers, a total of 145 B-29s were modified to carry nuclear weapons, and 117 of these were assigned to operational units.
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