March 1999 Vol. 82, No. 3 By Peter Grier print-friendly

DoD Gears Up for Missile Defense The threat of a missile attack on the United States is growing and is now so serious that it warrants the building of national missile defenses, said Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen on Jan. 20. Pentagon officials say that if technical problems can be overcome they will deploy such a system in 2005. That date represents a two-year slip from the previously announced date of 2003 for a working system. "We are affirming that there is a threat, and the threat is growing, and that we expect it will pose a danger not only to our troops overseas but also to Americans here at home," said Cohen at a Pentagon news conference. The announcement-coupled with a $6.6 billion, six-year budget for missile defense programs-represents a shift in the Administration's position, but how large a shift is open to question. Skeptics noted that the Administration did not actually commit for fielding a system. In the past, Clinton officials have sounded less than enthusiastic about missile defense programs that are the legacy of Ronald Reagan's ambitious Strategic Defense Initiative. Technical problems were insurmountable, some grumbled. The political calculus changed in recent months as Third World nations forged ahead with missile programs. Last August, officials were shocked when North Korea launched a three-stage rocket, the Taepo Dong 1. The third stage misfired, but if the communist nation develops a successor weapon it would be able to reach Alaska and Hawaii, not to mention US forces in Japan and South Korea. A study panel headed by former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld concluded that US intelligence had underestimated the pace of foreign ballistic missile programs and that the US could be vulnerable to attack within only two years. The system envisioned by Clinton officials would involve a space-based sensor capable of detecting the hot exhaust of a missile launch. Warning radars on the nation's periphery would track a weapon. A ground-based radar, likely to be located in Alaska, would then target the missile and help guide a ground-launched interceptor to destroy the threat. Even this relatively limited system would require amendments to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The United States has insisted that such defenses would not destabilize the nuclear balance between the US and Russia, as they would not be capable of stopping any concerted Russian attack. But Moscow has long considered the ABM Treaty a cornerstone of today's geostrategic balance and has opposed any changes. Cohen said withdrawal from the treaty is an open option if Russia balks. The US "has amended the treaty before, and we see no reason why it cannot be amended again," he said.

Expansion of Vet Benefits Proposed A commission set up by Congress to study the state of veterans benefits proposed a number of new-and expensive-ways of aiding those who have worn the nation's uniform. Most notable among the ideas of the Congressional Commission on Service Members and Veterans Transition Assistance is a recommendation that the government pay the full cost of sending a vet to any US college that he or she wishes. The panel also urged that the US pay health care costs for those who have recently separated from the military, and their families, for up to 18 months. Such proposals are a starting point for making good on old promises to military personnel, said commission members. "The system is broken and the commission took a 'no holds barred' approach to fixing it," said Anthony J. Principi, panel chairman and a deputy secretary of veterans affairs in the Bush Administration. Current Montgomery GI bill benefits cover a maximum $528 a month in education costs. This relatively small stipend is one reason only 38 percent of eligible veterans use the benefit, according to panel members. Their proposal would allow the military to cover the cost of tuition, books, and supplies at any college, plus a $400 monthly stipend. It would eliminate the $1,200 member's contribution to the Montgomery GI bill program and allow veterans' educational benefits to be transferred to a spouse or child. The recommendations of the 12-member commission would cost some $400 million in their first year alone and likely escalate rapidly as the number of eligible veterans increased. Most, but not all, of the panel's ideas are likely to be welcomed by veterans groups. The commission would also limit veterans home loan guarantees to one residence, for instance. It would end wartime benefit eligibility for personnel assigned to the Persian Gulf region. "Fox" Killed Key Iraqi Officials, Says US Army Gen. Hugh Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the bombs of Operation Desert Fox apparently deprived Saddam Hussein of some of his top talent. US intelligence indicates the December air raids on Iraq killed key government officials and have left Saddam increasingly desperate, claimed Shelton. The Chairman told reporters that the losses of key advisors, deaths of as many as 1,600 elite Republican Guard troops and others, and widespread military damage had shaken Saddam. "When you look at some of the [intelligence] reporting that has come in, [there are] several key individuals [who] were right in the upper structure [who] are no longer available to him, to advise or to lead," Shelton told the Defense Writers Group in Washington, D.C. He declined to elaborate. Anthrax Vaccine Fires Dispute Pentagon officials insist that the Pentagon's mandatory anthrax vaccine has proved to be safe. Some Air Force members, however, aren't all that sure. One airman at Travis AFB, Calif., faces a summary court-martial for refusing orders to receive his anthrax vaccinations, the Air Force said Jan. 22. In addition, eight pilots from Connecticut's Air National Guard 103d Fighter Wing, Bradley IAP, Conn., planned to resign rather than take the six-shot series. The unit, which flies A-10s, was scheduled to deploy to the Persian Gulf. "It's safe and reliable," Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon said. "It works and has no side effects." Reporters queried Bacon about the vaccine at a Jan. 21 Pentagon briefing. The anthrax vaccine is mandatory for all service members, active duty, Guard, and Reserve. The reluctant Travis member, A1C Jeff Bettendorf, of the 815th Air Mobility Squadron, faced a maximum of a reduction in rank to the lowest enlisted rank, forfeiture of two-thirds pay for one month, and 30 days of confinement. Bacon reported that during exit interviews, six of the eight Connecticut pilots said anthrax was only one of many factors that entered into their decision to resign. As of Jan. 12, Bacon said, 166,233 service members have received 463,226 shots. This includes the Defense Department's top civilian and military leaders, he added. "All of these people are fine," Bacon said. ANG Tanker Crashes in Germany An Air National Guard KC-135E tanker assigned to the 141st Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Wash., crashed while landing at Geilenkirchen AB, Germany, Jan. 13. All four crew members on board were killed. "This is a tragic loss," said Col. James R. Wynne, 141st commander. "The Guard is such a close-knit extended family that this will certainly send a wave of grief throughout the unit. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families." The airplane was on a routine refueling mission as part of a NATO exercise when it crashed. Reports from the scene indicated that the aircraft touched down, then took off again immediately. The airplane apparently tipped toward the right before hitting the ground, one-quarter mile north of the runway and several hundred feet from the nearest house. No one on the ground was injured, although it took more than 100 Dutch and German firefighters three hours to extinguish the burning airplane. Air Mobility Command has appointed a safety investigation board to look into the cause of the crash. C-27s Exit the Inventory They provided valuable support as recently as the relief efforts in Honduras and other Central American nations in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, but the C-27s have left Howard AFB, Panama, nonetheless. The final seven Spartans of Howard's 310th Airlift Squadron have flown their last mission-to the boneyard. The Spartans look like small, twin-engine C-130s. They have provided the USAF with a unique short-takeoff-and-landing capability that has provided access to numerous dirt and grass fields in the South and Central American regions. They have helped in humanitarian, peacekeeping, and counterdrug missions. But with the impending closure of Howard-all US installations in Panama will be turned back to the host nation by the turn of the century-they have become excess. A small ceremony on the Howard flight line preceded the departure of the last three C-27s Jan. 12 for the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis­Monthan AFB, Ariz. "I'll always remember landing in the jungles of South America and serving on flights carrying special forces personnel into remote areas, where no other aircraft could go," said TSgt. Larry Manning, a C-27 loadmaster assigned to the 310th. "Serving on, and serving with, the C-27 Spartan has been the highlight of my career." Last Block 20 B-2 Leaves for Upgrade The last Block 20 B-2 recently left Whiteman AFB, Mo., for its upgrade to Block 30 status at Northrop Grumman's modification line in Palmdale, Calif. The bomber-Spirit of Oklahoma-was the first Block 20 B-2 delivered. Block 30 stealth bombers have improved avionics, almost twice the number of radar modes, superior terrain-following ability, and increased survivability. They are also certified for new weapons, such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition, and are more easily deployed. According to Capt. David Miller, 325th Bomb Squadron maintenance officer, Whiteman's B-2 wing will see increased combat capability because Block 30 airplanes use an improved self-diagnostic system. "Our flying mission lives and dies by our ability to quickly and accurately troubleshoot faults," said Miller. The number of low observable write-ups has been reduced by a factor of five in Block 30 models, added Maj. Michael Andress, 509th Maintenance Squadron maintenance supervisor. Other improvements include fine-tuning the aft deck and rudders. The leading edges of the wings were entirely re-engineered. First E-mail, Now E-Brakes An F-16 equipped with electric brakes took to the skies at Edwards AFB, Calif., recently. The flight was the first for an airplane equipped with an "e-brake" system. The 416th Flight Test Squadron is testing the B.F. Goodrich­designed equipment to gather more information on the feasibility of building future airplanes with e-brakes. Why replace the tried-and-true hydraulic brakes approach? "There is a general tendency toward all-electric airplanes," said Project Manager Alan Dykhoff of the 416th. "The e-brake project is just one element." E-brakes replace hydraulic piston actuators with electric motors and gearing to squeeze brake pads. They are potentially easier to maintain, since ground crews can check them via diagnostic computers, as opposed to the physical disassembly needed by hydraulic parts. Aircraft systems can constantly monitor e-brakes while in the air, meaning a pilot can learn immediately of any brake faults. Ground tests have already verified e-brake performance during such situations as stopping on a wet runway. Future flights in the test program, which is a cooperative effort between the Air Force Research Lab and B.F. Goodrich, will compare the performance of hydraulic pistons vs. electric motors. F-15E Accident Report Released On Jan. 11, Air Combat Command released the accident investigation report on the October crash of a 391st Fighter Squadron F-15E near McDermitt State Airport, Ore., that killed pilot Lt. Col. William E. Morel III and instructor weapons system officer Capt. Jeffrey K. Fahnlander. At the time of the crash, Morel and Fahnlander were part of a formation flying a night training mission for surface attack tactics. The exercise involved low altitude night reactions to simulator enemy threats. According to the accident board, the crew became spatially disoriented. During a simulated surface-to-air missile attack, Morel and Fahnlander unknowingly flew their airplane to a nose low position, outside the limits of their terrain-following radar. The position of the airplane prevented the TFR from arming and providing automatic fly-up protection. Visual cockpit warnings may have been missed by the crew. When the "low altitude" voice warning sounded, it was too late to recover from the steep dive.

New Cash a Help, No Panacea, Say Chiefs The Clinton Administration's boost in the Pentagon budget will go some way toward solving immediate readiness and procurement problems, said the nation's top military officers in Congressional testimony Jan. 5. However, the increase-a claimed $110 billion over six years-won't fulfill all the armed services' needs, according to the Joint Chiefs. "We continue to grapple with the competing requirements of current readiness, modernization to ensure future readiness, and providing adequate compensation and quality of life for our people," Army Gen. Hugh Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. The chiefs said they were grateful for the new cash. "I expect the FY [2000] budget will take significant steps in meeting our most critical needs," said Adm. Jay L. Johnson, chief of naval operations. However, they reiterated that their long-term need is for about $150 billion in extra funds over the next six years-that is, about $40 billion more than Clinton is offering. Anything less, and there will be continued strain in keeping airplanes in the air, ships at sea, and troops in the field. Furthermore, without more money the next generation in weapons, such as the F-22 Raptor, may be unaffordable. Few were confident that money supposedly allocated in the "out years" would actually materialize. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael E. Ryan, for his part, told senators that the readiness condition of his force has declined 15 percent since 1986 and now "is very fragile." Aircraft mission capable rates have declined 10 percent over the last nine years, he said. "Our cannibalization rate has gone exceedingly high--78 percent higher than it was in 1995--and much of that has occurred very recently," said Ryan. Furthermore, the service is running into its most sustained personnel problems in years. The Air Force missed its retention goals in 1998, admitted Ryan. That is the first time that has happened since 1981, he said, and it means that meeting next year's goals will be that much harder-the 2000 recruiting quota has been raised 8 percent to induct 33,800 recruits. The Air Force still estimates that it will be 2,000 pilots short in 2002. "All our people are looking forward to the actions that we take to provide fair pay and retirement systems," said Ryan. Senators indicated that the Administration's budget proposal will represent a floor for Pentagon spending, not a ceiling. New panel chairman Sen. John Warner (R) of Virginia said the committee would likely add billions to Clinton's proposed $12 billion hike for Fiscal 2000. The majority leader, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), has indicated that he would support an increase as large as $20 billion in 2000. Warner also said he was worried that the Administration's proposed increase in the defense budget, in the end, will not turn out to be quite as advertised. Much of the "increase," he said, appears to be not new money, but assumed budget savings that will be reapplied to other priorities. "If the President chooses such a path to address the services' unfunded requirements, calling it risky would be an understatement," said the new panel chief.