European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                , pm  four -. More Mian 2,300 f ibs engine at left have joined air forces around the world since the . Air Force got the first one in 1978. Lethal Best seller by Thomas  new York times ome Jet fighters Are faster. Others can carry More weapons. And some definitely Are More modern in design. Bui the general dynamics corp. Is betting that its f in is going to to on and on company executives in fort Worth. Texas believe that Al least another 2 000 of the $15 million planes can be sold Cloro the lighter becomes obsolete making it one of military aviation s t esl Sellers. President Bush announced Al the end of april that Japan had accepted terms calling Lor general dynamics to handle 40 percent of the joint program to build 130 air Rall with the first scheduled Lor completion in 1995. The fax will have a larger Wing size than the f-16, improved engine performance n longer nose and other modifications. The work would be added to production already under Way at the foil Worth Plant. General dynamics has built and shipped More than 2,300 f-16s to air forces around the world since the first one was delivered to the us air Force in 1978 and the company believes the total could Roach 5,000 before the aircraft loses its Appeal some members of Congress said they would mount a Strong Challenge to the agreement. Many have argued that Japan would apply technology secrets gained from the f-16 to help establish a commercial aircraft Industry that would eventually wrest business and jobs from american companies. Congress has 30 Days to acl on the agreement alter it is formally delivered by the White House. Bush is certain to veto a Bill rejecting the Accord. Congress would need a two thirds majority in both Chambers to oven de a Vul the f 1c program has been one of the most successful and profitable in the history of american military aviation. The military aircraft unit Al general dynamics dominated by the f-10 program contributed $3.4 billion in sales last year up 6 percent from 1987. The f-16 is a phenomenal Success said Thomas l. Mcnaugher. A military analyst at the Brookings institution in Washington. Ii in were not Foi the f-16, it is hard to see How we could have maintained an air Force the size we did. It has been a Windfall Lor general  cutbacks in Pentagon spending seem certain to reduce orders from the air Force which is laying plans for the $30 billion at advanced tactical fighter which will eventually replace the powerful lighters like the f-15, made by the Mcdonnell Douglas corp total deliveries of the f-16, which slipped to 288 last year peaked Al 298 in 1987 and had risen for several years. General dynamics expects production of the plane to continue through Iho 1990s some analysis Are sceptical that the company will reach total production exceeding 5,000 planes. John m. Diamantis. Who follows aerospace companies for the Pershing division of Donaldson Lulkin & Jenrette in new York said thai the aircraft would Garner Large profits for another three or four years but that general dynamics was unrealistic to expect another 2,000 orders Lor the f 16. Some allies in Europe recently chose the f-18, made by Mcdonnell Douglas and priced Al $28 million instead of the f-16. In addition Iho air Force is expected to irim orders to 150 a year for the next two years Down from 180 a year in the last Lour years. General dynamics which also makes submarines missiles tanks and rocket engines at other divisions remains in the thick of military aircraft Competition. In addition to perhaps $3 billion in added Revenue in would reap from the fax it shared a Triumph last year with Mcdonnell Douglas in winning a Navy contract Lor the new a-12 attack plane. The Pentagon has not disclosed its projected output Cost for the a-12, but the design and development Cost was $4 billion. General dynamics is also among the leaders in the race to capture a Large share of the $30 billion the air Force plans to spend on the at. The company is also Allied with several military suppliers in designing the x-30. An aircraft meant to orbit the Earth alter a conventional runway Lake Olf. The a-12 and the at Are considered the most potentially lucrative aircraft programs of the future for general dynamics. The company is working with Boeing and Lockheed to develop an aircraft expected to Cost $35 million apiece. The plane is to have powerful engines improved radar for night flying advanced electronics and lightweight materials. Their Competition for the contract which the air Force is expected to award next year is Mcdonnell Douglas and Northrop. Patricia Trent an analyst at Seidler a dec securities inc. In los Angeles said profit margins Lor the f-16 have slipped in recent years because general dynamics is making 20 versions. The planes Lake two years to assemble and even modest variations in specifications ordered by foreign buyers like Israel Belgium and Turkey reduce production efficiency. Designed in the Early 1970s, mainly for medium Range missions and at Tower Cost than the More powerful f-14 and f-15 fighters the f-16 was later modified to carry heavier payloads and advanced electronics. The Price per plane now is about $15 million and can exceed $20 million with additional modifications. The f-16s military record is also impressive. The air Force said that the four models it flew last year showed consistently High Levels of maintenance with 85 percent to 90 percent of the planes always ready for combat. The air Force says it is the safest Multi Mission fighter it has Ever flown. Anti collision system ordered for airliners Page 16 the stars and stripes by David Briscoe associated press to dots converge on a computer screen in the cockpit and a voice warns climb climb in a mandatory anti collision system planned for the american Ai a Mars. The Little round computer screen to be added to Airliner cockpits with its pingpong Ball images and its limited vocabulary May not look like much to people numbed by Nintendo computer games. But Cash is the latest acronym in aviation safely. At More than $100.000 each the second generation of the traffic Alert collision avoidance system is also Iho latest pricey option for the corporate Jet. The system allows pilots to see the proximity of up to 30 aircraft around them warns verbally when one gels Loo close and even announces in a computer voice exactly what the pilots should do to avoid a collision climb sunday May 7,1989 climb or descend  the collision avoidance system operates independently of ground based air traffic control operations and would serve As a backup to warn pilots of any problem thai might be missed by the controller. Attention has been focused on possible midair collisions in the United states recently. Nine operational errors involving close flying aircraft were handled by a major Southern California facility and brought National transportation safely Board warnings end of april. There were also reports of two near misses by airliners flying Over new York. Only the smallest planes with no radar beacons to show their location would be invisible to the system. In a recent demonstration in the skies Over Northern Virginia a Sabre liner 65 piloted by Tommy Littlejohn flight operations director Lor teas manufacturer Bendix King came within a Quarter mile horizontally and 600 feel vertically of an oncoming Beechraft Baron that was part of the demonstration