European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 29, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday june 29, 1977 Roland missile system under control now after hike sin Cost infernal Ona woes army says by Vernon a. Guidry or. Washington is after More than two years of skyrocketing costs and inter National crossed wires the army says it Lias the Roland missile under control. The Roland is a surface to air rocket and radar system designed to spot track and shoot Down enemy aircraft making Low Altitude attacks. The missiles will be placed around High value targets such Masnato Supply bases failure of the program would not Only leave a Gap in . Air defences in the1980s, it would also have International political implications. The Roland is a joint French and German system which the . Has purchased for production in this coun try support for standardization the . Has strongly supported standardization of nato weaponry but for the most part that has meant Kuropcak Pur Chase of . Hardware. The Roland is the Foremost example of our willingness to make it a two Way  says one officer involved with the  House armed services committee has been critical of some aspects of the program and this year sought to make its double and concerns fell by writing them into the 1978 fiscal year defense authorization Bill. The Senate had no such language. When members of he two committees met in conference to Iron out differences what emerged was a strongly worded Confer ence re girl on the Roland. The conferees Supi girl increased Stan Dardi a Teton but in the Long run a pro Gram with excessive Cost overrun and questionable performance would do More to delay standardization than to Aid it. Therefore it is crucial that the Roland system meet Cost and performance goals the report said. The system had hardly been selected before it shot past initial Cost goals. In late 1974. Shortly before Roland was aimed As the army s Choice for a new Low Altitude surface to air missile the service estimated thai . Development of a european system would Cost about $130 Mil lion. That figure was to prove wildly Opl Imis sic the . Had no experience with buying a major foreign weapons system with the idea of manufacturing it in a Way to retain Battlefield inter changeability with the european version. We had to go to school and school has been a very costly affair says one officer associated with the program. In january 1975 a $183 million contract Vul to Hughes aircraft co. To produce four prototype Roland systems with a Numier of missiles. Problems soon became apparent. They grossly underestimated the magnitude of the problems of changing Over from a foreign system says a source out Side the army. American engineers were confronted with problems such As a stack of 93,000 drawings parts lists and tables that had to be translated. They found out that such routine things As Standard wire gauge differed from american usage. New Model and there were other complications. The . Was buying a new Model of the missile called Roland ii. They thought. All right we know what we re buying but nobody knew says an outside observer. The Roland ii was not a finished product. When we got into it we found the design was t As mature As we thought says an officer in the army program. The costs of the research and develop ment stage of the program have now More than doubled to an estimated $2 55 million. The armed services conferees have asked for assurances from army Secretary Clif Ford Alexander that the costs will go no higher. Procurement Cost estimates have also risen. The army Early this year said it would Cost about $1.6 billion to acquire the planned 17 Roland batteries an increase of 70 per cent Over last year s estimate. The conferees also want Alexander to make sure that at least 350 parts will be interchangeable in the Field Between . And other nato models. The army says it will do belter than that plans Are to Field a system with Aboul god interchangeable parts ranging from the missiles themselves to electronic Cir Cuit boards to tables to the entire gunner s compartment. Hughes will deliver the first prototype system in october. We have a Good handle on the significant problems. We expect it to go Forward now As a Good solid air a cease  says one officer involved a defense official working on the St a Dardr Alion Issue org him that the Roland system has saved Money despite us High discussed at conference solar Power called Nice but costly Columbus Ohio a a conference on solar Energy at Ohio state University seems to have concluded that Sunshine is Nice for heating your Home if you can afford it. Participants were told there is a huge potential Market for solar Energy equip ment sales but americans first must be convinced that there is an Energy crisis. They also were told that solar Energy May be too expensive to compete with other forms of heating. Robert Mills director of the Sheet Metal and air conditioning contractors association said 18 million new Homes will be built Over the next 10 years and another 24 million existing Homes will require renova Tion additions or new heating systems. President Carter has set a goal of 2.5 million solar heated Homes by 1985. But Home buyers must be convinced that the Energy crisis is real and solar heat is their Best Long term solution. Mills said. Solar Energy is Only going to become Cost effective when it s required. If we have another Oil embargo solar is going to look very Good whether its Cost effective or not Mills said. There s an intense interest in solar Energy nationwide said William Rice a congressional lobbyist for the . Energy research and development administration. It s not inconceivable that solar Energy research May receive More funding than nuclear Energy projects this coming  said. However Richard Springman of the Osu solar Laboratory advised caution in moving into solar heating systems because of the $6,000-to-$12.000 initial investment. Persons with Homes heated by natural Gas or Oil could save Money by improving their Homes insulation and perhaps adding a solar powered water Heater he said. Don t buy it solar today if you be got Gas because it will be several years before solar will compete with  said Joseph Dawson a former White House Energy aide who now represents a Long Island solar equipment  state University physics professor Carl Nielsen said the current �20-to-j25 Square foot Cost of installing solar systems will have to drop to 12 to m a Square foot before solar can compete with Oil and Gas. Of course we can buy solar collectors for the same reason we buy Oriental rugs just because we want them he added. Cost. He reasons that it would have Cost from $800 million to $1 billion to develop a us system from scratch. Lint in tin1 meantime says an army off o r. We have Learned a tremendous  or of lessons for use in the future when we buy weapons looking pm Over Yvonne cant Community relations adviser looks Over paintings to display at Queen s Hall the civic Center Lor the City of Dunoon Scotland. Sis Cole officer wives club Tea blossoms into Art show by Braddly free staff writer holy Loch Scotland  what started out As an afternoon event Here three years ago has now grown into a full fledged three Day Art show. The holy Loch officers wives club sponsors the show which this year had 130artists exhibiting More than 500 works. Three years ago we hosted a Spring Tea and had a Little Art show on the Side and now it has grown into this said chair person Marie Hawver. The Art show is held in the City of do noon s Queen s Hall the largest Hall inthe town bordering the us. Navy submarine base at holy Loch. In addition to the paintings exhibited by local artists this year there is a Section de voted to crafts and a children s Section too according to planners of the Art show. It s a joint Effort Between us and the townspeople with lots of cooperation on both sides so we can encourage the local Amateur artists said vice chairperson Pat Barke. Prizes were Given for the numerous categories. Landscapes and seascapes Drew the most attention with 240 entries. Professional artists and University lecturer Sann Thomas from Tarbert Stirling Gilles pie from Rothesay and Peter Connelly from Glasgow were to judge the show which Drew artists from about a 50-mile radius of Here according to officials of the exhibit. It s a self sustaining thing and we give out prize Money and some artists sell their  said Hawver. Last year about 65paintings were bought and everyone Bene fits from this True Community Effort she added