European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 05, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday aprils 1990 the stars and stripes Page 7 stealth fighters missed targets in Panama Washington not Pentagon rink revealed tuesday that the first1 �1 son by stealth fighters in m in was marred by Pilot error As one s a Chy targets forcing a and plane to miss its target by Hun cd of Yards. The revelations came about As the dense department disclosed information bout the Lockheed f-117a, designed to Udo air defense systems. It was deploy during the 1980s and has been shrouded in or us an aeronautical Cousin of the tilth or b-2, bomber a larger More sex cons rec plane made by Northrop that was St shown in Public last year and is still cing tested. After the december invasion of Pana a defense Secretary Dick Cheney said Ach of two Al 17a fighters used in thwack delivered a 2,000-Pound bomb with pinpoint  the less than perfect performance is embarrassing for the Pentagon which outed the radar eluding fighter As a Surgi ally precise weapon for regional conflicts any planners believe will supplant the i evict threat As the future focus of amen an military operations. Officials hastened to attribute the prob lems to Pilot error and agreed to describe the fighters performance in Panama after learning a reporter s visit to the bombed area raised questions about the Pentagon s initial account. The planes Mission in Panama was to drop bombs close enough to two Barrack sat the Rio Hato military base to stun Pana Manian soldiers without killing them. By disorienting panamanian defenders the Pentagon hoped to minimize resistance to a Parachute drop by army rangers. In a major breakdown of communications the commander of the army rangers who parachuted into Rio Hato said he was not adequately informed of the f-117 s Mission. Col. William f. Kernan the commander of the 75th Ranger regt led the assault on Rio Hato. He said he was never told the air Force was instructed to miss the Barracks so As not to Hurt panamanian soldiers. He said the rangers plans for Rio hat called for bombing the Barracks and added that he did not know that the plan was altered by senior planners. Kernan said the communications break Down did not jeopardize the Mission be cause he had drawn up plans for leading the fight without the support of the stealth fighters if necessary. He added that the rangers had been Toldon their Way to Panama that Security breaches had alerted panamanians to the invasion and the rangers believed the bar Racks would not be occupied even if they were bombed. The air Force s attack plans called for the planes to zoom in from the Ocean on their targets in sequence rather than simultaneously. The Lead plane would drop a bomb near the Barracks on the pilots left while the second plane would drop its bomb near the Barracks on their right. As they approached the targets the weather was worse than expected forcing the pilots to Fly lower than planned. The wind also was coming from the opposite direction than expected officials said. The change in wind meant smoke fro the first bomb near the Barracks on the left might Drift Over and obscure the target on the right. So the air Force decided at thelast minute to change the order in which the targets were attacked. When the attack was launched the Lead plane failed to switch targets. That plane dropped its bomb about 60 Yards from the Barracks on the left and about five Yards animals Are often take for example Frisky in the this Squirrel Spring in new nuts i m hungry York City who happened along on monday just As Eddie Rex was taking a stroll in Battery Park. Rex had just the right solution a handful of peanuts. From a Cantina. But the Pilot of the second plane who navigated by following the flight of the first plane was thrown off by the mistake. He dropped his bomb on a Hillside overlooking a basketball court far off target. Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams said the defense department was still pleased with the technical performance in the at tack noting the first bomb landed close to the Barracks. In past weeks the air Force continue to reject suggestions that the Mission was not properly executed despite after action reports to the contrary. A senior official insisted the Al 17 navigation and bombing system worked exactly As designed on the raid. Pentagon officials tuesday repeated ear Lier arguments that the Al 17 fighter was picked because its sophisticated navigation equipment and bomb system was Best suited for the accurate delivery of bombs at night and in bad weather. Critics have charged that the air Force used the Al 17 in Panama to demonstrate that stealth aircraft Are useful for carrying out missions in regional conflicts. This would buttress the Case for buying stealth bombers. 5 shots fired at bus in by. No one Hurt el1zabethtown. By. A at least five shots struck a Southeastern railways bus tuesday As it travelled along a greyhound route. No injuries were reported state police said. A bus on the same route was shot at saturday and its Driver seriously wounded. There have been reports of sporadic Vio Lence and other shootings since 6,300 Grey hound Drivers went on strike March 2. The company blames the Union and says there will be no contract talks until a wee goes by with no violence. The Drivers Union has suggested the company s refusal to negotiate is partly to blame for the violence. Kentucky state police trooper Eddie Lair said the shooting occurred about 45 Miles South of Louisville As the bus headed from Nashville. Tenn. To Louisville. Lair said All five shots hit the bus on the Driver s Side but none of them penetrated. Officials believe a .22-caliber Rifle was used. On saturday another Southeastern trailways bus was shot at and the bus Driver was struck in the left Arm. Requiring six hours of surgery. That bus had not entered Ken tuck when it was attacked. Cheney proposing 10% troop Cut in far East by the los Angeles times Washington the administration has notified congressional leaders of plans to unilaterally withdraw 10 percent of the 100,000 . Troops stationed in Lapan and Korea and to consider further reductions if  tensions continue to Wane. The cutbacks outlined in a report that offers a Broad reassessment of military strategy in the Pacific will result in Only modest Short term savings in the defense budget perhaps less than $2 billion a year officials familiar with the document said. The study emphasizes that threats to . Economic and political interests in the Pacific Region remain de spite revolutionary changes elsewhere in the world. Sens. Sam Nunn d-ga., and John Warner r-va., inc chairman and ranking Republican on the Senate armed services committee ordered the study last year in response to critics who wanted rapid and Dee cuts m . Forces in Asia in the Wake of a declining soviet menace. But the report says that As the direct soviet threat  interests there. It also notes that the nations of Southeast Asia Are unstable and potentially threaten ing and that terrorists could strike . Military or economic targets anywhere in the Region. The report also argues that substantial . Air and sea Power will be required for the indefinite future to guard sea lanes in the Region because a huge prop9r Tion of global Commerce travels to and from the rapidly industrializing nations there. With sentiment in Congress still Strong for substantial defense cutbacks around the Globe the proposed retrenchments Are expected to be criticized for not going farther. A number of democratic lawmakers have complained that washingt9n is paying billions of dollars annually to defend rapidly growing asian nations that run Large Trade surpluses with the United states. The report prepared after defense Secretary Dick Cheney s discussions with asian allies during a two week swing through the Region in february is awaiting formal approval by president Bush before the adminis recedes North Korea remains a backward hard line traction submits it to Congress. Cheney is tentatively communist run state that threatens South Korea and scheduled to present it to the Senate armed services committee on april 19. The study reaffirms the . Military commitment to the area but notes that Japan and South Korea Are capable of assuming a far greater share of their own and the Region s defense Burden the sources said. During his february trip. Cheney told South korean officials that the United states expected Seoul to Dou ble its $300 million annual contribution to the $2.4 billion Cost of maintaining 44.000 . Troops there. South korean defense minister Lee Sang Boon prom ised to increase his country s share of the costs within the limits of South Korea s  Cheney and japanese officials discussed a substantial increase in Japan s share of the $7 billion annual Cost of stationing 57.000 . Forces in Japan and Oki Nawa but they did not discuss specific figures. Japan pledged to pick up More of the Tab for utilities construction and local labor on . Bases. The study is expected to note the strategic importance of the Large . Naval and air bases in the Philippines but also will suggest that they Are replaceable elsewhere in the Region if talks Over renewal of base rights break Down