European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes saturday september 26,1987 Gao report assails 4 Navy missiles says failures could occur in combat Washington a a draft con Gressional report hat found potential defects in four Navy missiles caused largely by poor workmanship and soldering techniques that could cause failures in combat. The Navy has purchased thousands of Phoenix harm Harpoon and Sparrow missiles far billions of dollars Over the past several years despite he problems said the report obtained by the associated press. All four missiles arc deployed with forces in the persian cult a . Air Forte reconnaissance Jet that was shot Down during an exercise tuesday by a Navy f-14 Tomcal in the Mediterranean was hit by a Cal sucking sidewinder missile not one of the mis sies criticized in the report. Navy officials have forced several con tractors involved to improve production standards and in one Case the Fri is investigating whether a company Cut Cor ners on testing according la the report by the general accounting office. The defects although reviewed by Navy engineers had received Little publicity with the exception of the Sparrow two of which reportedly failed when fired Al radar images of an iranian plane in the persian Gulfon aug. 10. The report said the Navy believes hat All four missile systems generally arc performing Well and a spokesman said inc service had no further immediate comment. Although inspections of Sparrow mis Siles in 1986 and 1987 disclosed continuing Quality problems the report said the government had accepted hundreds of missiles that were suspected of having defects hat could affect missile perform  most of the defects were in the solder ing a process used to join two Iclal pans without welding the report said. But it quoted executives of he manufacturer Raythelon corp., of Lowell mass., As describing inc defects As More cos Metic than substantive some Sparrow missiles purchased by the . And inc greek navies also were found to have potentially defective detonators and wings that would not fold properly into launching lubes the report said. The Navy plans to buy 7,944 Sparrow missiles at 183,000 each fora total Cost of $1.5 billion it said. The harm or High Speed anti Radia Tion missile which is used against radar installations also was Basel by soldering problems causing the Navy to relax its soldering specifications to the dismay of some Pentagon officials who found the new guidelines Loo lenient the report Aid. A potentially More critical problem with inc harm was in the pressure transducer a key element in the targeting system. The Fri is pursuing allegations thai a Crisco technology corp. Of Simi Val Ley calif., one of two suppliers of the device falsified test data on its transducers Between 1980 and i9b7," inc re port said. The Navy is buying 7,505 arms at $303,000 apiece or a total of $2.3 Bil lion and the air Force plans to buy 7,114 of the missiles for $2.2 billion. New Phoenix air to air missiles Are being placed directly into storage rather than going to the Fleet because they arc having problems with their safety  ing and target i no devices the report said. The Navy temporarily stopped accept ing Phoenix missiles in 1984 after it found thai workmanship exhibited both poor management and a Lack of work ethics on the part of the labor Force Al the Hughes aircraft cd. Plant in tuscan Ariz Hughes shut Down inc Plant for five months and spent si60 million improving it. Bui a 1986 inspection found "38 major defects that could potentially affect the Long term reliability of the mis Sile 21 of hem with the soldering it said. The Navy plans to buy 7,204 air to air Phoenix missiles at a Cost of $922,000 each for a total of 16.6 billion. The Navy lowered production Stan Dards on the Harpoon anti ship missile in 1986 after in was found that one component altimeters manufactured by Kollsman instrument co., of Merrimac n.h., suffered from Mcaslin or spot Ting in printed control boards and wire assemblies. The Navy plans to buy 3,971 har Poons at $854,000 apiece for a total of 13.4 billion. Bogart co Star Mary Aster 81, Dies in Hospital los Angeles a Mary Aslor the dark eyed temptress of the maltese Falcon and Star of do ens of other films in a 42-year career died of natural causes Early Friday at the motion picture country Hospital. She was 81. The death was reported by pal Miller supervising nurse at the Hospital who declined to reveal the source of Astor s illness. The actress had been a longtime resident of he motion picture country Home in Woodland Hilts. Aslor made her screen debut in the silent Era at age 14, and was almost a casualty of the transition to talk ies. She also nearly fell victim to drink and drugs. But both times she found he strength to make a new Start. Her films included Dodsworth with Waller Hus ton prisoner of  with Ronald Caiman and the great lie with Belle Davis which garnered her a supporting actress Oscar. Dut she was Best known As the scheming adventuress who kilted Sam Spade s partner amid int Ngue Over the treasure of the maltese  the 1941 John Huston film co starring Humphrey Bogart Sydney Green Street and Peter Loire became a classic Astor was born Lucile Langanke in Quincy iii., on May 3, 1906, an Only child. Her father a German immigrant who worked As a poultry Farmer window decorator and teacher was Quick to realize the Money making potential of his Beautiful daughter. He moved inc family to Chicago where Lucile took Diama Les sons and then to new York and Hollywood. She got a contract and a new name in 1920. Mary Astor to photo As the Industry made the transition to sound in 1929, Astor found herself out of work for 10 months. I was fired she recalled Laler i was a silent actress and i had made a bad sound test. So 1 decided i had better get some stage training. I did a play with Edward Everett Horton and in five weeks i was Back in  films that followed included red dust and hol  in 1935, her second husband gynaecologist or. Franklyn Thorpe divorced her and was granted custody of their daughter Marilyn. Astor sued the following year 10 gain custody and scandal broke. Thorpe released excerpts from a diary that recorded in steamy explicit detail Astor s dalliances with other men. She maintained those pages were forged by some one mentioned in her real diary who hoped the saudi is would Block her Laws t and thus prevent the real diary s release. Suspect caught Silver handed in Koch Kitchen new York a when the cops in Gra de mansion caught this Guy rooting through the mayor s silverware in inc nighttime they asked him what he was doing. I m a burglar he replied according to May Oral spokesman Tom Kelly. Well we re police the police said listen the intruder said standing Al n Kitchen Cabinet with a handful of silverware. Ill put everything Back and  no Deal the officers said and booked him for second degree burglary Kelly reported. Mayor Edward 1. Koch who was asleep up Stair at the Lime of thursday s pc Dawn break in said he was awakened and told of the Inci Dent at 5 . And went Back to sleep. The suspect identified As Juan Suarer 33, apparently got onto the grounds by climbing Over iwo fences and tripped an alarm by break ing in through a basemen window said Pam Johnson spokeswoman for the Manhattan District attorney s office. From what i understand he did t know he was at inc mayor s Home she said. Suarcz pleaded innocent Friday in state supreme court to burglary and was held on $5.000 bail. Prices for 88 Buick regal will Rise pm says Detroit up general motors corp. Late thursday announced the Price of its 1988 Quick regal the first Model of its ambitious $5 billion pro Gram 10 offer a new line of midsize front wheel drive cars will begin Al $12,449 for inc custom Model and $12,782 for the limited. The new prices represent respectively increases of 7.7 percent and 3.9 percent Over the 1987 Model rear drive regal which had its last major reilling for the 1981 Model year however the new regals which Are about eight inches Shorter and hundreds of pounds lighter than the models they replace Are better equipped. When similarly equipped 1987 and 1988 models Are compared the regal custom is $298, or 2.2 percent More than the old version and the limited is $185, or 1.3 percent less the pm division said. Prices do not include a jj14 freight charge and most extra Cost options Are unchanged in Price. The regal ii slated to go on Sale oct. I. Its Oldsmobile counterpart the Cut lass supreme will be offered Afler the new year. The Pontiac grand prix the third and last of pm s new front drive coupes will debut during inc first Quarter of 1988. The cars Are part of pm s $5 billion project named gm-10. Which will eventually mull in an annual output of Ghoul 1 Mil lion cars. Chevrolet is expected to get a four door version of the car by 1991. Industry analysts said the massive car project is critical to the future of the top automaker which has steadily been los ing Market share mainly because of no. 2 car maker Ford motor co. And a Host of import car companies. Standard equipment on the new regal includes a 2.8-Liler v6 engine automatic transmission with overdrive four wheel Power brakes and Independent suspension. Mileage ratings Are slightly improved Over 1987 at 20 cily-29 mpg High Way compared Wilh 19 City-24 rope Highway for 1987 regal which had a 3.8 Lilor v6 engine As Standard