European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 7, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday october 1988 the stars and stripes Page 3 caged emotions jilt Morrill Girlfriend of John Mccar thy one of he British hostages held in i Elianon sits in front or a caged Model of her captured Boyfriend. She Pul on the demonstration at a Hall in Blackpool England to bring inc plight of the hos tages to lie attention of delegates to a labor part 1 conference. Pentagon trims Back ski s Cost estimate b Norman Black a military writer Washington the defense department has formally changed its plans for the first phase of a Star wars anti missile defensive system slashing the Cost estimate for a rudimentary system from � 115 billion to 169 billion the Pentagon announced thursday the department in a prepared statement and through testimony of lop officials at a congressional hearing said the defense acquisition Board had completed an annual review of the program on tuesday and approved a series or re structuring moves. The changes arc designed to keep inc research moving Forward while addressing concerns that it would Cost Loo much to begin deploying a system on the ground and in space the Penta gon said the restructuring absolutely docs not mean the administration is pulling Back Frum its original goal of developing a High tech defensive system that could shield inc United Stales from nuclear missiles the Pentagon added. The program As now modified will still continue to emphasize research on space defense to provide for Early deployment of space based sensor sys tems to maintain the option to develop a limited Protection system Given a future National decision and the funding to do so and o provide for a balance Between near and longer term weapons technology programs the statement said the Star wars program known for Mally As the so Ralcgie defense initiative is an Effort to develop lasers and other exotic weapons that could be deployed in space and on the ground to automatically shoot Down soviet nuclear missiles. Con Gress has repeatedly refused in recent years to fund inc program at the Pace sought by president Reagan bul nonetheless has allowed the research to continue. Last june when it became Clear con Gress was going to slash More than $700 million from the president s fiscal 1989 request of$4.9 billion. Defense Secretary Frank c. Carlucci ordered the program restructured. Those were the modifications that were reviewed tuesday by the defense acquisition Board the Penta gon s highest level weapons review panel. According to tuesday s announce ment the huge reduction in the Esti mated Tost Ofa first phase system was achieved primarily by scaling Back plans for space based interceptor rockets known As Sis. The Pentagon now believes it can develop a More capable seeker guidance unit for the rocket improving its chances of hitting a target and thus reducing the number Hal would have to be fired in a War. This together with shifting More of the Burden to the lower-Cost., ground based rocket interceptors which was increased in inventory by about 70 per cent enabled us to Cut inc size of the ski Constellation in half the Pentagon said. The department declined to say specifically How Many ski interceptors it planned to Pul in space for the modified phase one system saying the number was classified. But there would be fewer than 200 Carrier vehicles with several Sis aboard each Carrier the Pentagon said. The department said it also had achieved the Cost savings by reducing inc sophistication of a planned surveillance and tracking satellite system. The various modifications will not have any effect on estimates that it will take several years yet for researchers to determine even that a phase one system is workable the Pentagon said. The decision to deploy a strategic de sense system will be made by future National leaders in the Early to mid 1990s, contingent upon adequate funding lev Els the Pentagon said. Denver earns Ferms for trip to soviet space station Moscow up it will Lake More than a guitar and Nice voice for . Singer John Denver to travel into space 3 lot More. The Tass news Agency said thursday he will have to pay $10 million learn russian and spend a year training in the soviet Union. Denver whose ambition is to make a space flight either in a . Shuttle or a trip to the soviet space station Mir asked Ovici officials in 1982 for the Chance. Denver s singing and guitar playing will of course brighten up the life of inc soviet space platform s resident Crew on an endurance Mission but he needs something More to qualify for a stint aloft Tass said. First he has to pay $10 million which is the rough Cost Ofa passenger s eight Day stay in orbit on a commercial basis Tass said. The sum can be Low ered if the aspirant for inc flight suggests an interesting research program and then carries it out in  then Tass said Denver would have o pass a stringent medical examination before being allowed to enter cosmonaut training at Star City outside Moscow. The course of training will take about a year Tass said Over this Lime he will have to master russian us Well As the tricks of inc spaceman s  in a recent interview Denver said he wanted to conduct a television show from the Mir space station. Denver has Long attempted to secure a spot aboard an american space night but has been rejected by the . Space Agency Nasa. According to Denver he has a Good Chance of making a soviet flight. He fold the Houston chronicle that he had Al ready met soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev and that he had inc approval of Roald Sag Cev a close Friend of Gorba Chev s and a leading soviet space scientist Tass agreed Hal i1 is quite possible for Denver to make the flight. Maybe the . Singer who was among the first civilians to file an application to become a space farce in 1982, has undergone training for space shuttle missions and logged Many hours piloting jets will ind celtic Lucky enough to gel a taste of the soviet cosmonaut s hospitality Tass said. 2,254 s. Korean troops killed selves in 80s Seoul South Korea api the National Assem Bly said wednesday thai 2,670 soldiers commuted Sui cide were beaten to death or died from other unnatural causes since 1980. The figures were provided to the Assembly in a de sense a misery report on deaths in the 6so.ooo Mem Ber armed forces. The report said 1.254 soldiers committed suicide with the remaining 416 killed in assaults by their superiors or fellow soldiers or from other unspecified causes. The deaths were in All branches of the armed forces and included officers and enlisted personnel. Discipline is notoriously harsh within inc South korean armed forces. Younger soldiers can be subjected 10 beatings and other punishments by older personnel despite an offi Cial ban on physical abuse. The report also listed 3,723 other soldiers and offi cers killed in accidents since 1980, such As explosions mishandling of arms and motor vehicle and military aircraft accidents. Korean males Are subject to about iwo years of Mili adventure novelist Dies London a adventure novelist Geoffrey household Besl remembered for his Book rogue male about a big game Hunter who sets out to kill Adolf Hitler died tuesday at 87. No cause of death was Given by his family. Tary conscription. Dissidents have claimed some opposition supporters serving in the military killed themselves because they could not stand surveillance or discriminatory treat ment in Barracks. Some dissident leaders said they would form a Spe Cial group to investigate the deaths to determine if there had been any improper conduct according to Seoul newspaper reports. The defense ministry had to submit the report to inc National Assembly As pan of legislative scrutiny on conditions within the military. Under the new democratic Constitution adopted last year the legislature is empowered for the first Lime in 16 years to inspect the military and other branches of government