European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 10, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                It avs e system Elloe continued from Page 13 connection electronically with computer assistance. Tho program is divided into two parts. The army controls phae i. Which Calls for installing More than 130 switches Lor army Ana air Force installations in Germany the Netherlands. Belgium and Northern Italy. Phase i should be completed by 1908. The air Force controls phase ii. Which includes about 3i? switches Tor army air Force and Navy installations in England. Spain. Turkey. Greece and Southern Italy it should be completed by 1990. The larger of the two projects phase i was born in the mid-1970s. About 1975. The . Government decided to replace  40. In 1978, alter Throe years of negotiations it decided to buy a new switch by system from the Bunde Spost. The German postal service. That november the two governments made the Deci Biu. Official. The agreement is the umbrella for everything that has taken place  said Nelson Riffe. Deputy project manager for ets. Details were worked out and a contract was signed in april 15, 1980. Col. John Bashore project manager for ets said the decision to install a switch designed and built in Europe should save the United states Money. The reasoning was thai if we bought a european switch that would be maintained by people who live Here we would t have to Bear the administrative Burden of no longer the new kid on the Block t he heart of the european Telephone system is still beating after All the  weren t Many cheers when ets made its debut in Munich in 1983. People questioned its ability guffawed at its claims and cursed it when they could t figure it out. It even went through a disaster in Frankfurt when the introduction of the system threw the . Military Community into three Days of confusion and anger. Even after we overcame the Frankfurt disaster a lot of people were still dubious and reluctant to move Forward said Nelson rite Deputy project manager Lor ets. A Yea ago there was much concern whether ets was going to succeed. But now that 40 switches Are in we be found a great Deal of acceptance for ets. It s no longer the now kid on the Block said col. John Bashore project manager for ets. Bashore and his Crew Are breathing a Little easier these Days. As each new so itch is turned on. Bringing people Over Here establishing Ollices and so  Bashore said years ago a said everything had to come from the United states said Rifle. Now the europeans arc saying we want our share of what s going on i believe that contributed to the decision  to gel ets under Way the Bun despoil formed a partnership with three firms Siemens. Standard Elek Trik Lorenz and Tele Forbau und Norryn albeit. Siemens received the largest portion of the project designing and building the switch ii and the other two firms Are responsible for installation and maintenance. The six year contract also fixed the Price of Tho switches at 220 million Marks. The army expects to buy 95 percent of the equipment needed to Complete phase i by the end of 1986. It has spent $175 million on ils program so far $90 million on switches and $85 million on new cables it s estimated the final figure might reach $235 million i believe ets is probably the most important communications thing going in Europe because it has the biggest Impact on the most  said Bashore. Compared with phase i. Phase ii is a seedling. The program is controlled from Scot fab. Iii. A Field office a i Lindsey As Germany. Headed by a. Rueva Dunn handles procure ent of switches but does t Deal with other support projects such As cabling or building renovations. Pha be ii. Dunn in d. Is divided into two parts scope dial i and ii scope dial i started in 1980 and is a five year contract with Northern telecommunications inc., a Canadian company to Supply 14 switches. One of those is now working at Torrejon a. Spain. The other 13 will go to the United kingdom. Scope dial ii will probably begin about april. During its live year contract Tho air Force will buy about 18 switcher to Complete phase ii of ets. A spokesman Lor Telephone systems at Scot fab said that switches for phase ii of the ets program Are going to Cost $31.47 million Torrejon s project will Cost about $11 million when it s completed in 1987, according to William p. Donald Chiel of the communications and electronics programs management Branch. That includes cabling new buildings and other new equipment. Ets is designed to push the military communications network into the 21st Century planners say. Because the system is designed to allow for expansion. Someday the system will be Able to transform your voice into a Bunch of digits which can be transmitted to another desk instantaneously. Also the computer will be Able to talk to a user like an answering Servic Jive you messages and such Thomas said. Old Ong. In Frankfurt i ill partly in. For Auto on of/,., ,. -