European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse 4 what does Iraq have mystery a last april British customs agents seized these crates which contained parts of the super gun. The crates labelled Quot Petroleum pipes Quot had been loaded on a ship bound for Iraq. By Ian Kemp Jane a defence weekly Brilliant scientist whose dream was to and the world s largest weapon is the victim of an efficient cold blooded killing in a Brussels suburb. U his murder is soon linked to a top secret 500 a foot Long Quot super gun being built in Iraq that could launch satellites into space a or rain Down Poison Gas tipped artillery shells on a country As far As 3,000 Miles away. Weeks and months later components for this super Cannon Are discovered in packing cases in Britain Italy and Greece a. The plot might seem farfetched for a thriller but the iraqi a a super gun affair which started with the violent death last March of artillery Genius Gerald Vincent Bull is a True Story spoiled Only by an inconclusive ending. In Britain where Many of the parts for super gun were produced authorities recently dropped charges of illegal exploding against Christopher Cowley a former executive of Bull s company and Peter Mitchell managing director of a forging company which produced steel tubes destined for the super gun. A. A a a a a prosecutor at the court in Sheffield said there was insufficient evidence against Mitchell and that it would be Quot inappropriate Quot to proceed against Cowley alone. In addition parliament was told that customs authorities were ending their investigation of the super gun affair. If this is indeed the final chapter in the Story there Are Many Loose ends still waiting to be lied. Iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein May be in Possession of j super gun s deadly technology. A. Although Bull is dead and some of the parts were seized the iraqis have most of the guns key components possibly also the blueprints and probably could enlist another Steelworks to Complete weapon.�?T. In the meantime there is another legacy of super gun designer. A h u and r de s o f s c p h h St i c a i of a m o by p a o �-1 cd a v of e be d by Bu-1 and bought by Iraq for its War agn not ban. Wou d to a. Serious threat to the multinational task Force in. Saudi Araba in the event of a Mound War. A most worn some am Iraq s 155mm go n-45 and g-5 howitzers Alt versions of the gc-4s Cannon Bull developed in the 1970s. A. Capable of delivering a by explosive punch accurately from almost 25 mules away the guns played a major Rote in artillery Battles during the eight year Iran Iraq , a a a Bui also designed two Mammoth self pc priced artillery a guns for the iraqis a about the same time he began work on super gun. A. A a a the super gun project was exposed last Panl Whan customs officers in Teesport England seized eight giant meter wide steel tubes labelled Quot Petroleum they were waiting to be loaded on a freighter bound Lor Iraq. A the pipes had been build by forgo masters engineering to specifications provided by the Brussels based space a a research corp International the european subsidiary of. Space research corp. Sec which Bull founded in 1967 in a Quebec Canada. A. A a weeks earlier on March. 22bull, 62, was killed As a he walked Down a hallway to. His apart Merit in the Brussels suburb of a Occle. A a a a. A cause of death two Bill lets to the head and three in the Back fired from a Silencer equipped 7.65mm pistol. No one. Saw the gunman. A a a a a a. Born in North Bay Ontario and dubbed Canada s Quot boy. Rocket scientist Quot by Maclean s Magazine 1953-, Bull was a known in military circles As the Man who changed the face of modern ballistics. A a a. He is listed in the. Guinness Book of world records for they greatest Range Ever attained by a projectile fired from a gun 112 Miles High. V. A Barry Gold water then a Republican senator from Arizona. Considered. Bulj s a weapons work so vital to the military that a Goldwater pushed through a. Special act of Congress in. 2.-v i. A ulv and that can i i s a acute up a1250s h of ban to c to t i Tan scier1 lists Wev i Al 1 f so As of huh do ,.-,n i. A Voca c a of r i n o u 5 i icon a. A. Quot i of i a a Emu a a space. Or oni l make a living cd Quot a m. Be took his taunts a tech. A Chick in that he was soiling Power te1 Alcoa fi.-.,n. Cho Taiwan. China and Luc in. 1962 he was sentenced to six for illegal Amis sales alter Iho South afr i a secretly bought a 2d percent state Jyh or. 1 from Bull to Manul Mclure the Gg-45 hew a a a seeking to maintain an Edge Over iian a ulc a. N the own defense Industry. The iraqi govt mrs Bull to propose an artillery modernization pm a. In february 1933 Bull visited Baghdad a. The my designs far 155mm and 210mm self pier v u Gums on. Which he had been working Tor several to. Us a a Bull also persuaded the iraqis to turd his Sun it Jan a a project super gun had its roots in Harp the i hah project which Bull conducted a the 19g0s with the . A Hnyz Canadian department of in tens h production and Mcgill University. A a a a a it used huge cannons to fire military anti scientific. A payloads Long distances. A in. His Book Paris Vanonen Harp. Published a a in 1988. Bui i sketched out plans Lor a monster gun that could blast a 1 200.-Pound payload 600 Miles info i Pace the barrel of the gun Bull wrote would be constr clod a a out of Quot smooth bore a pipe with relatively shod High pressure. A a sections Quot which based on Quot modern steel characteristics. Quot a and fabrications techniques Quot put together Quot in a. A lengths As great As 300 meters for an estimated $1.0 . A Bull s contract with the iraqis covered the development of a Quot the 15 5hn m a and 2 t 0 my self pro Pell g d e Velo men t a a a a pier chanced ammunition ballistics training courses . A. A Quot . Al h a a m a a a a a l i Oil to i 1 d h k m �?Tv1 i Quot a a i 1 i i a a am of dollars v. Quoth r to mors a Al la were a d 1 a f p is of a. A a began in a a it a v on of a a Aon Pony Anletu a i. ,. I. H. A. L. A a a a a. S.a-1 the 1 a a if e. He Quot a Rodl Quot t s Quot a Quot. A As Law in it i i a i to mite to 74 ? -. A a a a d e worn of a plotts of ii lev a a. Pm was Cei ,i to a a p-.-v-. A pm he one Moloi a. V i i Ofa. a on on War ttmtl1ltd a a h -a1-Ao two separate 20-sh o omit Quot to ios Quot to Impi v ii a Lent from forgo Nalo s w is made or a. Jan Iii y 1 i to Highl so tons of i i of Liy enlist i tasks Imoh Iho list Doh Oil. A in Tesvie jug4 Bull did nol on ism of. As an i team it id lbs Loulion. Up i Lih Guod to it fans a a. unit in v i Harp that super was an inexpensive Tel Teeth o Wiy to boast satellites Mlo lev. of ital. A a White it would tie Able shells on to gets 3.006 mites away As a stationary Tel Ildy installation if a whim Liu. in a by Vui Kiemble to air Utlack -. A a Rock Els of i a More Che Clive Mode. Us delivering a a a Ali r ill Ai i s. E 1111 e r con be n t i prot Al c he m i l 11 n i id ear o be r a a Long distance a a a a. A it still in t Okliar whether project fial Blun a pail of an a iraqi space program of an of tort to Dove or it ii Long Range. Weapon system capable of striking or any of Haq s Ottieri in Middle ens. A. Tie or of Bull s Deatti also Romme is a mystery a a. A. Some say add Ani com id Havo o or 1 red to s i is i act i no t i a i. Bull was a spy for the United slates or Israr i.-. -. A. Others Point to. Moss and israelis Sec my service known Lor its ruthless Era dict Ion of threats to the jewish stale is the. A prime suspect _. A a. A. A Ian Komp if a Tor Jano s Dolence wok log it not of Tho Jano a. a Nind. Othar Mii Ilary books and journals. A the lethal Abrams from production line to Middle Eastby Jim Sielicki United press International f the persian Gulf standoff Ever. Becomes a shooting War the army s a 63-ton Abrams tank could play a major role in the conflict. Bul unlike soldiers. a and other expendables in . Arsenal. I Here will be no Calls to the factory should tank replacements be needed quickly. Donald l. Gilliland a spokesman for. General. Dynamics manufacturer of the tank top Speed 41.5 Mph Crezot fou said the Abrams requires Loo much time to build to depend on any resupply Effort. A beyond spare parts. About 60 tanks a month Are being produced in Lima Ohio each my at or its new improved Model the m1a2, takes up to five month s to Clank of the Assembly line. Some 41 tons of steel plate including the super Strong depleted uranium used for additional Protection against Armor piercing projectiles Are welded together from 128 pieces Cut Largo Steff plate general dynamics said each tank requires-200 hours of welding. A time. A a /. a the persian Gulf crisis has Ted the joint chiefs of staff to Survey the defense Industry to determine where it could increase the . Arsenal should War develop. But tank production will Likely not be on anyone s list. A a despite its weight the tanks Turbine. Engine perils Highway speeds of 41.5 Mph or 30 Mph Cross country with a Range of 265 Miles. Its 0 to 20-Mph acceleration. In 7 2 seconds is better than Many Small a cars o. The tanks main authority comes from a. Laser guided 120mm Cannon with a 7.62-caliber machine gun adjacent to it and a. Operated by the guns loader. In top of the Turret is another 7.62 machine gun arid a heavy duty ,50-caliber machine gun can be operated by the commander inside the. Tank. By. a a a Hull and turrets Are manufactured in. Separate areas of the Ohio Plant and a. A brought together toward the end of the. Process. Altogether some 20,000components before the sleek Turbine powered tank is ready for the Battlefield. ,. A Quot the contracts now being filled Are the fruits of years of labor Quot Gilleland said during a Roc ont tour of the Lima Complex. The two facilities about 165 Miles apart. Are the Only plants where the United state builds tanks. A a a. Y a. A. Until recently both were scheduled to be. A placed in Mothballs while the go neral dynamic s land systems division. Based in Sterling Heights mich., worked on a successor to the Abrams. Congress thought it could save Money a by suspending work at the plants after. 1993. Under that plan the plants would reopen in 1998 when production for a hew a Model tank designated the Block ill began. The political upheavals in Eastern Europe helped accelerate a mood of cutbacks in. The armed forces. A. A Quot people feel there ought to be a peace dividend Quot Gilleand said. A. In june before the Gulf crisis was a a a Factor general dynamics argued that Little consideration was Given to the effect that a Long break in production would have on the nations ability to resume production quickly in a crisis. The company said it. A would be unable of rehire All of its skilled workers keep on to suppliers or keep up. With technology if production were interrupted a a a a a a a. A Quot this is a decision with major. \ implications for the . Economy the defense Industrial base the workforce which has loyally served it for years our military readiness and relations with our friends and allies Quot general dynamics vice president of research and engineering Gordon England told the subcommittee on defense committee on appropriations. A june 21. By a a a y a a a the fact that the Lima tank Planta employs 2,500 people and the. Detroit Arsenal tank Plant another 1,200, was t lost on the Chambers of Commerce or the representatives from the two congressional districts where the plants Are located. Rep. Michael Oxley a Ohio is credited with leading the charge to rethink the. Closing strategy the Lima tank Plant is in. File photo a. R ii a workers at a Detroit Plant guide the completed Abrams Turret onto a stand next to the bore sighting area. Prior to the Gulf crisis the Plant had been scheduled to close in 1993. This plan is now being reconsidered. A his District and represents the areas a _ largest manufacturing facility Gilleland said general dynamics and its workers owe him a debt of gratitude. J a Congress faced with lobbying by. General dynamics its. A a request for an estimated $110 million needed to close the a. Gilleland Sai d the Gulf crisis will help a a Washington remember the importance of. Keeping it s military Industrial base "warm1 Quot the. Crisis May influence Congress Quot he _. Faid. Quot our message to the defense a a subcommittee of the House appropriations. C of m i tree was in. Y b u r d e be rat i on make sure you understand the implications. It a shutdown a aaa Quot the message has been carried Quot a. Gilleland . General dynamics estimated that the a a Iong term Cost of the Mot Balling a and the. A -. Of Start file y ear later would have been $3 a a. A Quot. A a r the defense contractor said the Detroit. Rea Plant and the ,-40d- ,. Acre site in Lima represent the Only High a a Capac i by heavy Armor pro do c t i on i i n a i n t h e. West. Are owned by the. Government and operated by general. A a dynamics. All Tanka begin their Fife in Tima. During. The manufacturing process half of Thea pm ducting is sent to Detroit for. Further .-4s5emby and completion Detroit also indies machining of some sections that a Are sent to Lima for . A a. A a gut said Gilleland Quot the bulk of the. Assembly capability is. In Uma Quot. To in Workings in Lima Plant defy the word 1p m d Cuti o n i in a Quot e Fly we e n a compared with manufacturing facilities. Elsewhere. A a. The steel dinosaurs remain in place most an m1a1 Abrams backs onto a transport truck in saudi Arabia. It takes five months to produce the 63400 tank. Of the Day As workers and robots move a around them j welding and steel a plated Armor that the army claims. A. Contributes to the Abrams a bitty to. Withstand attacks by most weapon a a systems. A pressure system inside is. Designed of shield crewmen from Bio logical and chemical weapons. A a at Lima there a Tittle that resembles a a a moving Assembly line found m most mass. A production operations. There Are too. Many parts that have to assembled. Tested and retested a -. A a at $2.5 million each a am a shipped by rail to the am in s various Depute for testing where Gilleland said one of a every is found to . A a Quot you re hard pro m any business to a Fin d that kind of said. A -. General wrap Ping up an. Expansion in Lima to Ial will double the. I Fanf s Ca pair it to 120 tanks a month. Gilleland said her e is no Call yet a kind of production Speed. A11 to u go the c u f rent army c o r i 1 r a r u n s a out in. 1993, the defense department has. Secured a $3.2 billion Agre a Iofi f to provident 5 m1a2tanks to the Budr government and it tins is contract to prov de 5513 tanks to Egypt accept the tank in kit a of run a he c of p be t e i Fie r e m a i n my 20 a. of production. A a. A up of August the army had taken delivery on 6.800 of the my s in its various. A /. Configurations. The newest Hie m1a2, has. Not yet coming of the i me. A Page 14 the stars and stripes tuesday a Ember 18,1990 Ike stars and stripes a Page 14 /
