European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 1, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday june 1, 19s7 the stars and stripes Page 3 soviet air defense extensive but erratic deadly abilities and embarrassing fumbles the soviets air defense system which failed to intercept he single engine Cessna hat flew from Helsinki Finland to red Square on thursday is enor Mously extensive with forests of mis Siles thousands of warplanes and More than 1,5 million men and women either deployed or on Cail. In recent years the system has emphasized defense against Low level Aerial incursions across the lengthy soviet Bor Ders. Some Western analysts believe this emphasis May have made the Cessna s 400-mile flight Over soviet airspace particularly galling to top soviet leaders Western military experts in Moscow and elsewhere have suggested that the Cessna piloted by a teen aged German managed to Dodge soviet radar by flying very near the ground. N other incidents that have come to Light Over the decades the air defense apparatus has sometimes shown deadly ability but Baa at other times made embarrassing fumbles. The current edition of the . De sense department report soviet Mili tary fewer says the soviet air defense system includes the world s most Exten Sive Early warning  the special importance of Low lev defense against anything flying relatively close to Trie ground was underscored in another reference work the unofficial commercially published defense and for eign affairs handbook for 1986. It said the increasing emphasis by Western air forces on Low level Penetra Tion attacks has made the tactical equip ment and techniques of the ground forces air defense organization of grow ing importance for strategic  All told the handbook said the soviet air defense command is estimated to have 550,000 personnel in service not counting More than a million reservists. It includes More than 2,500 interceptor aircraft in addition to in diverse and far Flung Arsenal of missiles with special arrangements for the Protection of Moscow and other key Sites. The air defense manpower and hard Ware Are supplemented by restrictions. A soviet government spokesman said Fri Day that air traffic had been banned in the airspace above the capital since the 1950s. The three airports that serve the City arc Wal outside its perimeter. An Early postwar Triumph of the sys tem came in i960, when a High Altitude . V-2 reconnaissance Jet piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot Down. The Best known recent display of the system s deadly abilities came in the far East on sept. 1, 1983, when soviet War planes intercepted a South korean air lines jumbo jul that had veered off course and into soviet airspace. It was shot Down and All its 269 passengers and Crew members were killed. A similar although less Well remembered incident came in 1978, when a so Viet Jet interceptor forced a South korean Airliner to land on a Frozen Lake 650 mites North of Moscow after it strayed Inlo soviet airspace. Two of the 97 Pas sengers were lulled and 16 were wounded passengers reported that a sin Gle soviet interceptor had fired at the plane which had veered More than 1,000 Miles of fils course. Before the Cessna s flight perhaps the most dramatic known instance of the system s failure to intercept a civil air Craft penetrating soviet airspace was in the 1970s a soviet merchant Seaman who had detected to Sweden Lew into and landed in the Baltic Region of the soviet Union twice in an attempt to pick up his wife and take her Back out. She evidently failed to appear for the Rendez Vous and the defector was arrested in Sweden when he returned from his Sec Ond trip. On thursday the Day of the Cessna incident a soviet Man also eluded his country s air defense system when he piloted a crop dusting plane from the bal tic Region out of soviet airspace and Over the Baltic sea. He ditched the plane in the sea near the swedish Island of got land and waded ashore. He has been identified As roman Sis Lono 24, and refused to see an official of the soviet embassy who sought Access to him. The soviet Union is nol the Only nation where incursion Inlo its airspace have led to incidents and problems. The United slates has been trying to intercept or forestall flights Inlo it airspace by planes carrying contraband narcotics. Eiffel birthday plan assailed Light ring will hamper research scientists say Paris a a plan to celebrate the Eiffel Tower s 100th birthday by launching a Light ring into space is drawing angry complaints from astronomers around the world who say the giant reflecting satellite could wreck their Sensi Tive telescopes. But the project s backers say launching what would be the biggest satellite in the heavens is a fitting Way to commemorate the building of what was once the world s tallest Structure. It s a pointless piece of egotism said Paul Murdin the head of the astronomy division of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Britain. What we re talking about is space  the sky is not the property of astronomers retorted Philippe Gillieron a spokesman for the social Nouvelle d exploitation de la tour Eif Fel the company backing the plan which was the result of an International Competition. Gillieron compared the astronomers complaints with the outcry Over the Eiffel Tower construction nearly a Century ago. The space necklace he said would be a Symbol of the technical aspirations of the 21st Century just As the Tower symbolized those of the 20th Century. The expected launch Date is now 1990, a year later than originally planned. The satellite would be carried Inlo space by the ariane rocket the schedule of which has been disrupted by launch failures. The estimated 300 million francs about $50 million needed has yet to be raised. The company is seeking to raise a subscription supported by 21 major european corporations. The Light ring would consist of 100 reflectors linked by plastic tubes each 260 Yards Long. Or biting 500 Miles above the Earth it would reflect sunlight and be visible at night. It would appear to the naked Eye to be slightly larger than a full Moon. It would orbit for about two years before burning up in the atmosphere. Murdin said astronomical observations would be ruined when the Light ring passed because its brightness would far outshine the natural Star Light. The ring could also destroy delicate equip a Fucai such As image photon counters which Are so sensitive they discern individual particles of Light he said is Ida photo Castro was ruining Cuba general says Washington