European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 07, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Brilliant pebbles new focus in anti missile research los Angeles times he Ever evolving Star wars space based defense program is now shaking ils future on an embryonic technology known As Brilliant pebbles swarms of new mini missiles designed to select rack and pulverize incoming soviet nuclear missiles in High. The new scheme Marks a Radical departure irom previous Star wars designs and represents some officials in Washington say. The last Hope Lor the costly and controversial anti missile program which is formally known As the strategic defense initiative Brilliant pebbles was endorsed by Secretary of Welense Dick Cheney end of april As the Centrepiece of Pentagon anti missile research which included the laughing of a Delta Star missile with experiments aboard in March Cheney indicated thai if two years of intensive research on the Brilliant pebbles concept fail to yield results the entire Star wars program would be delayed and would have to be to evaluated critics immediately assailed the idea As unallowable and technically impossible charges they have levelled at All previous Star wars proposals the Brilliant pebbles idea devised by weapons scientists at California s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory would place thousands of miniature interceptor rockets encased in solar powered life jackets in space awaiting orders to blast enemy missiles As they Rise through the Clouds on an arc toward the United slates the 3 foot Long 100 Pound rockets would be guided by an electronic brain with the capacity of a Cray supercomputer shrunk to the size of a deck of cards. The rockets would hurl 10 Pound non explosive projectiles the pebbles into thin skinned ballistic missiles at Ultra High velocity. Pentagon officials estimate that the Brilliant pebbles interceptors can be built Lor less than $500,000 each because of dramatic advances in sensors computers guidance systems and thruster rockets it. Gen. James Abrahamson. Who recently retired As director of the Star wars program estimated that a Brilliant pebbles system could be deployed in space for $25 billion compared to $69 billion Lor last year s Model known As the space based interceptor Cheney and president Bush Are intrigued with the concept which offers the elusive premise of an affordable and survivable space based missile a tense but if pebbles fails moot their expectations officials concede the whole Star wars program on which nearly $18 billion has Boon spent already could be in jeopardy. Cheney has Lold Congress that if Iho Bill Ian pebbles concept does not work out alter a concentrated research and testing schedule the entire Star wars program will to pushed Back two years meaning the first deployment of a system would not take place unt l after the turn of the Century. Democrats in Congress have already grown impatient with the Cost and the apparent slow Progress of the Star wars program failure of yet another scheme could doom the cherished project of former president Reagan every year or so there s a big new idea that turns the program around. For a program that s spent $17 billion already this is a bit disturbing this program appears to have very shallow roots said Buce Mcdonald an aide to sen. Dale bumpers dark an an influential Star wars critic Brilliant pebbles is a refinement of an older concept known As smart rocks which were larger non explosive projectiles carried aboard rockets pebbles Are smaller and have much More advanced targeting and guidance systems according to the system s designers. But pebbles still faces grave technical challenges although Early tests of the rocket s propulsion and mane vering systems have been encouraging the sensor eyes and computer brain of the missile remain on the drawing Board. Any space based anti missile system confronts a difficult technological task to identity ballistic missiles in the very Early stages of flight to pick out the rocket body from its Largo plume of fire to track and then Home in on the target before the weapons carrying bus separates and releases the nuclear warheads. The Issue is mass production said Charles j. Infosino who oversees the Billiani pebbles program for the Pentagon s strategic defense initiative office. We re attempting to build Fords on an Assembly a Delta Star missile roars from the launching pad at Cape canaveral fla., in March carrying equipment Tor experiments involved in Star wars research. Line the problem now is reliability. But in we have thousands of them up there so what if to Loso a few in Osmo noted that with Between 5.000 and 10.000 Briliant pebbles in space none is an attractive target for soviet countermeasures. The old space based interceptor system which housed 10 or More larger interceptor rockets in big solar powered garages would offer easier targets for soviet anti satellite weapons. Another advantage according to pebbles proponents would be eliminating big communications and guidance satellites that previous ski designs required each Pebble carries so much prior knowledge and detailed Battle strategy and tactics computes so swiftly and sees so Well that it can perform its purely defensive Mission with no external supervision or coaching Lowell l. Wood a senior stall physicist at Livermore Laboratory and lather of the bal Lunil pebbles concept Trolo last year pure fantasy replied Marc Hoton Harg. A computer analyst and spokesman for computer professionals Lor social responsibility a Palo allo. Calil based organization critical of Star wars you be also heard they were going to have a laser the size of the desk in 10 years we May Well have Grays the size of cigarette boxes. But the More Subtle and significant problem is what happens to the software the role Borg said. To argued that the tolerance Lor software errors is extremely Small because once the pebbles Are Given Liliu to signal the interceptors Are to act without further human guidance. A miscalculation by an errant Pebble could cause not Only loss of human life but massive economic damage if communications satellites Are destroyed Rutenberg said. Passengers inside the plane saw the Baron hash by alter Lille John followed the voice command and climbed several Hundred feel for a Sale separation. Once you Fly with it. You Don t want to Fly without said m. Ace card. Bendix Keg program manager for teas. Who was aboard the Sab Relmer. Systems built by Honeywell inc. Tested successfully in two Northwest airlines planes according to Pilot Robert g Buley for the most part the results turned out to be More than acceptable to the Crews that will have to use Iho system Day to Buley said in a report Tor a Trade publication. Congress has required installation of to Casio in All airliners built to carry More than 30 passengers by the end of 1991 rep Ron Packard. R-calif., has introduced a Bill to phase in the installation with 25 percent of each airline s Fleet by the end of 1990.50 percent a year later and the rest by the end of 1993. It would order the Federal aviation administration to Analyse operation of the system in the first year in Case changes Are needed. But airline Industry officials say they need at least until the end of 1994 to install the systems in 4.500 Domestic airliners. More than 1,200 foreign airliners that Fly . Skies also would be required to Havo Iho anti collision device. The timetable s too said Tim Neale. Spokesman Tor the air transport association which represents the airline Industry. We be got so much going on that the airlines Don t feel they can get All the pianos done in that time without tremendous disruptions in he noted pending requirements to replace parts on aging airliners a Law that orders installation of equipment to warn against Strong wind changes around airports increases in air travel and a limited number of airline mechanics to do the work carriers have begun placing orders for the anti collision system with three manufacturers competing in a potentially $700 million Market. Allied signal aerospace co s Bendix King air transport avionics division the air transport systems division of Honeywell inc., and the sunday May 7,1989 Collins divisions of Rockwell International the to Casio system consists of a sophisticated transponder that has already been installed on some aircraft antennae and a computer that analyses and displays the movement of nearby planes the transponder sends out a signal to other aircraft As Well As ground controllers. Ii two computers Meol orders to the pilots will be reconciled automatically in one plane is told to climb Iho other will be advised to descend or slay on course while Industry experts believe to Casio with is climb and descend commands offers enough to prevent nearly All midair collisions an even More Complex system has been developed Tea Iii that also will include horizontal capabilities. Dodgen said that even though Honeywell is testing such a system on an Faa Airliner it is not Likely to be approved Lor installation on commercial planes for several years and Ihen Only on models off the Assembly line since it would require major modification for older airliners. The stars and stripes Page 17
