European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 24, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                August 1978 the stars and stripes Poge 7 j t co Page t death rav have reportedly destroyed 7 on missile using laser beam weapon such my by Malcolm Browne new York not first sue Bary scientists Nave reportedly dest Mwai it Fyk Blu jul t us thu a nig Speed missile in flight using a pow Erful prototype laser beam the successful test was disclosed in tilde by Philip Klass in avs week space through which the department of defense frequently makes new technological developments Public a laser weapon practical and cheap enough to deploy against missiles could revolutionize existing concepts of de sense and military strategy throughout the in theory at it could neutralize such primary attack and deterrent sys tems As submarine launched ballistic mis Siles and land based intercontinental Dod plans to build 25 u2style jets Washington a the defense department plans to build at least 25 recon Naissance jets similar to the old u2 spy largely for use in Western a Pentagon official said tuesday initial plans Call for building 25 planes similar in design to the old u2s but re named at a Cost of million a Jet beginning in said Michael department the total including fitting the planes with sophisticated sensors and pro Viding ground would Cost a total of Burch the u2 became famous in 1960 when one piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot Down Over the soviet trigger ing an International soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev used the incident to Embarrass the United states and torpedo a planned Summit meeting with president Dwight Eisenhowe the United states has reduced its use of u2 aircraft for largely be cause of the planes vulnerability to anti aircraft turning instead to spy Battlefield intelligence Burch said the updated u2s would be used for tactical or Battlefield intelligence in contrast to the newer sr71s and Satel Lites which Are designed primarily for strategic people think of u2s a la Gary pow Burch that is not the Mission of this Burch said some of the urls would be flown in Western Europe along the Border with Eastern Europe to obtain information about soviet military strength in the re sensors would permit the planes to gather military information without actually flying Over the area being and All such systems  n could but the dramatic Success of the san test to Demon o Emon Strate both the Potency of the laser weapon and  on of  the successful test reportedly was con ducted some time earner this facility of the defense and space systems group of ht25f prove in lne be practical weapons the spokesman emphasized that the recent California test had involved a test bed and not a working and that dramatic though it its intention was doubts r Wear in program could produce a working weapon by 1982 the defense department spokesman said that successful tests of laser devices As antiaircraft weapons had been carried out by the air Force in 1973 and by the army in against winged or helicopter drone but the latest test was the first in which a High Speed missile was de lured to commercial airlines of fear loss of Young pilots by Hoffman a military writer Washington map the Navy and air Force Are worried about a potentially serious exodus of younger pilots to com Mercial airlines in search of future big the acting to Stem the Are improving duty conditions and alerting commanders to try to persuade such pilots that a military career is More challenging and exciting than steering an but both the air Force and Navy so far Are shying away from proposing special a Parton shot after presenting Singer Dolly Parton with the key to new York mayor Edward Koch pays up service to the great country and Western Parton gave a free concert outside City Hall which police estimated Drew a bigger crowd than that which showed up for president Carters recent up vow votes to allow women to join Dallas a after a Lively two hour delegates to the veterans of for agn wars convention voted tuesday to Al to women to join their Hie vote to Amend the vow charter was Well Over the two thirds major y it Means women who served in armed forces in wars overseas pm join the most delegates who spoke during the de said they were in favor of letting but some were More reluctant Nan James Van a former congressman from Pennsylvania and or teatime vow in in of women being in the vow not be cause i want to but because i believe the vow has to admit he was shouted Down from the Francis assistant majority Leader in the Massachusetts House of rep said he would fight to admit women but said he disagreed with Mem Bers of Congress who said they would turn in their vow membership cards if the amendment to those who would hand in their id give them a hand signal in re Doris members of the vow Many of whom Are the wives of vow members rather than women who served said passage of the amendment was a step in keeping up with the we think it is great that the vow is accepting women veterans who have earned the right to be a member by virtue of their overseas service to our said Grace vow auxiliary National but Arlene vow auxiliary senior vice said she thinks the women eligible for vow membership who now belong to the auxiliary liked things the Way they i doubt if Many who Are already auxiliary members will join the said although the Navy is looking at the Thomas the new chief of naval we Are concerned about the loss particularly of Avia tors with two years to five years of military flying experience whose incomes Are still relatively we Are starting to feel it already and we Are definitely forecasting it an in creased loss for next Hayward the air Force said Pilot particularly among captains and majors with Between six and eleven years of flying Are increasing and that re a the commercial airlines always have drawn Many of their pilots from men with military Hying but defense who asked not to be say the trend is Likely to accelerate in the coming years As older com Mercial Many of whom Learned to Fly in world War reach the mandatory retirement age of a spokesman for the airlines pilots association said military pilots Are coming to the airlines with Job applications and in rather than the airlines seeking them out in any concerted spokesman Paul Renaux said there Are a lot More pilots available than there Are Renaux said the starting salaries for commercial pilots Range Only from to and that everybody starts at the first As a flight and eventually working up to which he said could take 20 military he Are attracted by the Lon term prospects of earning salaries averaging in the the approximate salary of a rear Admiral or major but younger military he have got to make an Ini tial sacrifice in income to get aboard the commercial yet for younger lieutenants and Lieuten ants Junior said there  be much of a pay Cut to go into the military pay Navy lieutenants Junior Grade with two years of experience make about a year counting flight while lieutenants with More than four years experience receive about including flight pay cuts for air Force officers with be tween six and eleven years of flight expert those of particular would be greater in transferring to a starting com Mercial airline an air Force Captain with six years behind him gets a Little Over a year while a major with 11 years draws about both counting flight the air Force said airlines Are forecast ing hiring about new pilots a year Over the next 10 with about half pos Sibly coming from the air Force