European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and Stripe Friday february ,15,1991 War in the Gulf Bradley inspected flaws corrected2nd army Cav needed 2 out of 3 adjusted by Rob Jagodzinski Middle East Bureau v Northern saudi Arabia two out of three Bradley fighting vehicles in the 2nd army Cav regt have heeded slight transmission adjustments to Correct a manufacturing flaw. A a technician from general electric co., which builds the armoured vehicles automatic transmission spent three Days this week inspecting the regiment s Bradley Fleet and making drive train adjustments. Officials would not say How Many Bradley the regiment has. A. \ a. The repairs were done As part of a Rush inspection program ordered on the army s Premier armoured infantry transport. An army memo said a the problem can result in a Lack of full Speed in reverse Ana inability to obtain third Range in Forward thus limiting Forward motion to approximately 10 to 12 Miles per  a v the 60,000-Pound Bradley is designed to travel up to 42 Mph. A a a 7 /. A .7-/ of the 2,000 Bradley vehicles in the persian Gulf area 300 had the potentially defective transmissions a spokesman for fac corp. Was quoted by the new York times As saying. Fac builds the vehicles. Pm b two of the m2a2 Bradley in saudi Arabia had to have the faulty transmission part replaced a procedure that took about 90 minutes an army spokesman said. Two other Bradley in California were also found to need the transmission part replaced he said. The spokesman said he did not know How Many Bradley required the slight adjustments. Inspections first were done Only on Bradley sus acted to have the problem an fac spokesman said however the army command later wanted All the vehicles to be checked the spokesman said. A after arriving in saudi Arabia in december the regiment swapped its m3 a1-Model Bradley for newer m2a2 Ana m3a2 versions. The new models include heavier Armor a larger engine and a More advanced anti tank missile system. Scouts in the regiment use Bradley to conduct reconnaissance and to engage enemy Armor with anti tank missiles. All Bradley carry a 25mm Chain gun and a 7.62mm machine gun. The cavalry uses four or five Man Crews in its fighting vehicles. Hob a Moodzi Imedla Pool. Cor in a Angton Bradley fighting vehicle. Nail of the Star and strip a la a Mamba of a Pentagon. Contributing to hit Story was staff writer Janat Howella Tia May tjs_�0? Lisi a c so Quot b a a a brei a Woff. Combat weight 24 tons Width 10.5feet height 10 feet Max Road Speed 40 Mph Max water Speed a. 4.5 Mph armament main 25mm Cannon armament 2-tube Tow launchers sources Jane s Armour anti artillery a amps we amp Booher blinding sandstorm by Bob Dart. The Cox news service Washington a military planners Are worried that the Long anticipated ground offensive could be jeopardized by arrival of a a Sham Al a a blinding sandstorm kicked up by seasonal winds that sweep across the arabian Peninsula. Desert shamans Are so fierce that Volu lion has Given camels an extra fold of skin on their eyelids to keep out the flying Sand said Arthur vat Crit a George Washington University geography professor. V 7 \ a the sandstorms Peak in Midsummer a a. When the Northwest wind never ceases and a �?o40-Day Shamaly Cah occur. But the Windy season begins in March and an Early Shamal could disrupt military operations for several Days. The weather is a a critical factors in persian Gulf planning said Marine Brig. Gem Richard Neal a spokesman for the . Central come in saudi Arabia. A the-30-Mph winds of a typical Shamus can stir a dust Cloud 14,000 feet High and cover an area 100 Miles Long and 60 Miles wide. The powdery Brown Sand whipped by the winds would reduce visibility complicate communications and create a maintenance Nightmare for the finely tuned High tech american War machine. A during Sand and dust storms maintenance schedules go up geometrically a said Gregory Fetter editor of a world fighting vehicles and ordnance forecast a a newsletter. For instance he said air filters would have to be changed every Day or so on combat machinery. While iraqi soldiers have survived Sha Mals in most of their Springs or Summers the choking blinding sandstorms would be an alien experience for most american a soldiers. A \ a. A a a a a the conditions that spawn a Shamal Are a hot arid climate a Lack of vegetative ground cover powdery Sand and dry winds said Viterito. They Are not duplicated in the United states. A during a Shamal a the atmosphere is so Laden with dust that you can look straight at the Sun and its just a vague Orange glow a recalled Cornell Fleischer director of the Center for the study of islamic. Societies and civilizations at Washington University of St. Louis. Fleischer grew up in the Middle  hot dry wind and heavy Dusty atmosphere takes a toll on soldiers As Well As War machines. The Fine Sand permeates everything from gear boxes to nasal passages. A in modern warfare the Impact of a sandstorm May be greatest on optics a said Kevin Stubbs a desert warfare specialist at Texas a amp mrs Center for strategic technology. There san a abrasive effects a on lenses mirrors and other components of optical sighting systems. The Shamal also shortens the Range of laser and infrared sighting systems said Stubbs. But these High tech viewfinders can still peer through the Sand filled air. Stuj it a said the sandstorms will have an even greater Impact on iraqi visibility re Tion. Lying on their eyes and binoculars the iraqis look for a dust Cloud to indicate enemy troop movements he explained. A a dust storm provides a natural smoke  the maintenance problems also accrue for both sides noted Fetter. American. Tanks and armoured vehicles will work even in dust storms if they Are properly maintained he said. Weather forecasters can predict the coming of a Shamal three Days before it arrives. So meteorology has become an integral part of military planning in the Gulf War. Intelligence officers arc a very much concerned with the weather and its effects on operational matters a said Neal. A we look at the Calendar just like everybody else does. We look at the Moon. We look at the Light data. A we look at the weather for the past four five six years a said Neal a a it Sall put into the equation As to what would be a Good time forgoing any Type of opera cd 10, Miles on top of things two marines keep watch on the horizon from atop a berm of Sand As other marines inspect a damaged and abandoned soviet made t-62 iraqi tank along the saudi kuwaiti Border. The iraqi Lank was smashed recently during clashes with Marine units. The marines Light armoured vehicles Are parked at left. In saudi Arabia apr the 1650th tac Airlift wig provisional has flown 10,000 hours without an Accident the units Public affairs spokesman said. Sgt Randy l. Mitchell called the achievement  the units next goal is to surpass 20,000 hours of Accident free flying Mitchell said from Mcchord fab near Tacoma Wash. The unit composed of Reserve guard and Active duty soldiers flies c-130 Hercules combat transports in sup Pirt a of a operation desert storm. It has moved More than 15,000 passengers and 12,000 tons of cargo Mitchell said. A Accident free flying does not happen by Accident a the unit commander col Steve Hannah told his unit. It takes professional Crews maintenance troops with a competence and Pride and a dedicated support Statt. Thais exactly what we have Here at Mirage air base Hannah said. The major units that flew the 10,000 hours Are from the 63rd tac Airlift so a Reserve unit based in Detroit and the 328th tac Airlift so another Reserve unit based in Niagara Falls by