European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 12, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday. July 12, 19b7 the stars and stripes Page 7 Amr a am production approved Washington not the Pentagon has approved initial production of the air Force s newest air to air missile saying less have shown that the missile will wort and thai production coals have stopped rising. The decision which had been anticipated was announced Friday by Rich Ard Godwin the undersecretary of de sense for acquisition after a review of the program last week. Production of the missile will be divided Between Raythelon co and the Hughes aircraft subsidiary of general motors corp., Goodwin said. As Many As 24,000 missiles at a com of j7 billion Are expected to be purchased. The first year s production will amount 10 just Iso missiles 75 made by Raythelon and 105 by Hughes. Approval of production also enable he air Force to place Advance orders for pans thai will Lake More than a year to produce the weapon is known As Omraam for advanced medium Range air to air missile. The radar guided missile about 7 inches in diameter and 12 feel Long is pc cd Wilh Complex electronics meant to make it far Superior to any missile previously used by fighter planes to shoot Down enemy aircraft. During its development though the Omraam ran into technical problems Long schedule delays and rapidly using Cost that appeared at one Point to be leading toward he program s Cancella Tion. Hughes which had signed a cont re to develop the weapon at a fixed , ended up paying More than 1250 million for the Cost overruns. And the air Force by bringing in Raythelon As a competing producer Nurt Hughes chances of recouping the losses during the production phase of the contract. Congress enacted a ceiling on the Price of the program and set detailed Stan Dards Tor the missile s performance As a consign for production but despite complaint from critics that the missile was too costly the program has survived several attempts to cancel ii. The decision of the defense acquisition Board which reviews each new phase of major weapons programs was based on a series of tests in which am Raam missiles scored increasingly impressive results. Although two recent tests were unsuccessful the bulk of the lest shots went Well. Majority think North truthful new York a a majority of americans believe i. Col. Oliver North has been telling the truth to the congressional Iran Contra investigating committees and most believe that he acted with president Reagan s knowledge and approval a poll released Friday indicated. The lbs news new Yort times poll of 658 adults nationwide found 62 percent believe North has generally told the truth 15 percent think he has been lying and 23 percent had no opinion. When asked whether they thought North acted Wilh the knowledge and approval of the president in his handling of arms sales to Iran and assistance to Tai Contra rebels 57 percent said yes 22 percent said no and 21 percent had no opinion. Reagan has denied that he knew of the diversion of proms from the arms sales to Aid the contras. The Survey found 56 percent think Reagan lied in saying a was unaware of the diversion while 26 percent believe he was telling the truth. That differs Only slightly from a similar poll in May which found 59 percent thought Reagan lied and 24 percent believed he told the truth. Although 64 percent of those questioned consid ered North a Patriot Only 18 percent said they Felt he was a National hero. Asked whether icy thought North went too ear with his actions 56 percent said yes 32 percent said no and 12 had no opinion. Reagan fired North from his Job on the staff of the National Security Council on nov. 25, after the diversion became Public. The poll was based on Telephone interviews of u nationwide random Sample of adults Wilh a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage Points. It. Col. Oliver North a photo Book planned new York a an instant Book of Tran scripts will go on Sale about a Wei after it. Col. Oliver North completes his testimony before the congressional Iran Canara committee pocket books announced Friday. The Book taking the stand the testimony of it. Col. Oliver North will include questions posed to North and a Complete transcript of his answers said Ann Maitland of pocket books. Pocket books will print at Leasi 500,000 copies to be sold for j5.50, she said. We had l considered it until very recently and we Are now moving full Sicam ahead she said. North is expected to finish testifying monday. Plane divisions to be sold off by Fairchild Chantilly. A. Up Fairchild industries said Friday that it will sell its two air plane manufacturing divisions and at least four other businesses and focus on aerospace and defense electronics. The sales expected to be completed within a year could effect up o half of the company s estimated 10,000 employees. At least 1.000 arc expected to lose their jobs when Fairchild closes its Fairchild Republic Plant in Farmingdale n.y., said Deborah Tucker director of corporate communications this announcement today Narrows the definition of the company into one of wanting to be an aerospace defense electronics company she said. The Sale of Fairchild units is expected to provide the company with $150 million Over the next year. The company said Friday it would Purchase some of its own preferred Slock on the open Market and work to prepay $ 144 million in debts. Fairchild s management is enthusiastic about the Opportunity to position the company to Benefit from the expected growth in the aerospace and defense electronics industries chairman Emanuel Athenakis said. The planned capital infusion will provide additional needed equity in the company and accelerate the restructuring  Wright said Fairchild will focus its resources on space systems avionics defense electronics and Aero space subsystems doing most of its business with major aerospace companies and the . Government. Fairchild s common Slock gained is. 125 a share to $13.375 in composite new York Stock Exchange Trad ing Friday. The company s series a preferred Stock Rose $2. So a share to j40. Restrictions on demonstration ruled illegal Philadelphia a authorities who barred demonstrators from a Park adjoining Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell during ceremonies marking the Bicentennial of the . Constitution violated the protesters constitutional rights a Federal judge ruled Friday. Chief . District judge John Fullam issued an injunction barring similar action at the Requil of 16 organizations and 36 individuals who said in a civil lawsuit that they were barred on memorial Day from demonstrating in Independence National historical Park As vice president George Bush opened the National Celebration of the 200lh birthday of the Constitution. Park service personnel sought to prevent plaintiffs from expressing their dissenting View in any manner which might come to the attention of any person at tending the vice president s speech and which might detract from the mainstream patriotism Fullam said. The judge said that to exclude them because of the message conveyed by their sign or other insignia was a Clear violation of Floc  Stefen Presser of the american civil liberties Union of Philadelphia said the judge s order gives us the right to demonstrate peaceably while any event is in  neither the Park rangers nor the Philadelphia police can Stop anyone from entering a Public area and exercising his right of fret speech As guaranteed by the Constitution s Bill of rights he said. Thai s All we wanted to do last memorial Day and we plan to do it when Congress is Here next  pc scr referred to planned Bicentennial events this week during which at least 55 members of the  Senate and House will participate in ceremonies at Independence Hall. In their lawsuit the plaintiffs also charged thai police illegally conducted improper surveillance and undercover infiltration of their meetings nut the judge said he found nothing illegal in the police undercover operations. Fullam said he found nothing in Fgitlin allegations thai police spied by attending meetings of at least one anti Govch mint group protesting president Reagan s Nicaragua policy and the Fri routinely photographed marchers and . Network striking workers agree to meet in july new York a a Federal mediator has persuaded representatives of Abc and 2,800 of its striking employees to sit Down to their tint bargaining ses Sion. The july 20 session was agreed to Fri Day by the network and the National association of broadcast employees and technicians which has been on strike for 13 Days. In los Angeles . District judge Dickran Terri Diana extended his order barring . Attorney Robert Bonner from excluding non Union television Crews from news conferences. On july i Bonner backed by . Marshals ordered an Abc Crew out of a news conference he d to announce a major drug raid. Other Crews had threat ened to leave unless the non Union work ers were excluded. The bargaining session was called for in a letter sent to the negotiators by Brian horns director of the Eastern re Gion for the Federal mediation and conciliation service. John Krieger Nabet assistant net work coordinator called the move an encouraging  adding let s Hope it s productive and not just an  Mcclain Ramsey an Abc spokeswoman said War have always said that we will meet whenever a meet ing was called and we will certainly be at this  Union members in six civics struck the network on june 29 when Abc unilaterally imposed new contract terms that included relaxed rules about hiring temporary employees which the Union con tends would erode Job Security