European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday october 14, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 3nato to discuss nuclear cutback by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a possible cuts in . Air delivered tactical nuclear weapons in Europe will be discussed this week at the biannual nato nuclear planning group meeting in Taormina Sicily a senior Pentagon official said Friday. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and european defense ministers will focus on a How natos nuclear forces can be shaped folded and adapted to reflect the changed Security requirements that the Alliance now faces a the official said. The meeting planned for next wednesday to Friday will be the 50th for the group since it was established in the Early 1960s to improve Alliance consultation on nuclear issues. On tuesday the Day before the meeting begins Cheney will visit vice adm. William a. Owens 6th Fleet commander at Fleet Headquarters in Gaeta Italy. During the three Day session with the european ministers the group also will discuss potential changes in the nato command Structure and conventional Force issues. The new air base planned for Croton Italy will be included on the Agenda. Although Congress seems certain to continue to ban the use of . Funds for construction of the base in fiscal 1992, the official said Croton a remains a subject to be nato defense ministers have reaffirmed the importance of the base to the Alliance but the official said it remains unclear whether other nato nations will agree to pick up the Cost of building it As Congress would like. Talks of possible reductions in the number of natos air delivered tactical nuclear bombs would go beyond the initiatives outlined two weeks ago by president Bush to reduce . And soviet nuclear stockpiles. The United states is committed to keeping a nuclear element As part of nato s deterrent Force the official said adding a but we will be exploring the question of whether we need the full number of air delivered bombs currently deployed in the group will also discuss execution of other Bush initiatives that affect nato particularly the destruction of All . Ground based tactical nuclear weapons in Europe. The United states has about 1,000 nuclear artillery shells and about 700 Short Range nuclear tipped Lance missiles in Europe. Nato officials will also discuss a response to soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev a recent proposal to move air launched tactical nuclear bombs to consolidated storage Sites away from the operational bases where aircraft could carry them. A that is possible but there Are questions we need to ask ourselves a the official said. A where would they be stored How much would it Cost to move them there How Many troops would we have to have to guard them that we currently done to budget for Quot whatever results from those discussions the official made it Clear that nato is not moving toward the Complete of Europe. On other issues the official said nato s command Structure will change Quot to reflect the end of the old traditional that weighted the alliances resources toward Central Europe. Such changes will reflect potential risks arising from areas other than Central Europe such As the persian Gulf he said. In addition to the broader strategy sessions Cheney will hold a series of one on one meetings with the defense ministers of Britain Germany Canada Spain Norway and Italy to discuss bilateral concerns. After the meeting Friday Cheney will visit Rome for talks with ranking Lillian officials before returning to Washington on oct. 21.family s plans Wilt at terminal because of visa by Effie Bathen Niernberg Bureau Rhein main a Germany a Lack of a visa left a sobbing Petra Farley and her two children at the Airport thursday while her husband orders for the states in hand boarded a plane for the states. Farley was left at the Rhein main terminal with overstuffed bags her baby son Phillip and her 5-year-old daughter Nicole. The girl still held a yellow Rose intended for her grandmother in Anoka Minn. A ooh god Why did no to they Tell us i needed a visa a Farley said As a passer by helped her to the Uso trailer for assistance. The incident occurred at baggage Check in when military Airlift come officials told staff sgt. James r. Farley that his wife a German citizen could not Board the plane because she did not have a visa. No statistics were available saturday on the number of cases like the Farley so but such incidents Are familiar to passenger service workers at the so called a Gateway to Europe a a base spokesman said. A it seems like this happens nearly every flight a tech. Sgt. John Murphy said. There was however a twist to Petra Farley a predicament. Ordinarily German citizens do not need the official stamp of approval to travel to the United states but her husbands stint with the army was up. He had orders to fort Dix n.j., for out Roces sing. Officials had to assume that they were returning permanently said winema Copher from the Uso who comforted Petra Farley with open arms and a Box of tissues. In fact the couple were planning to visit James Farley a parents for two weeks and return to Frankfurt where they had an apartment and the persian Gulf War Veteran and former tank gunner had secured a Job with a printing company. Moreover Petra Farley had talked with three Ora amps Eft Bathen Nicole Farley 5, sips lemonade in the Uso office at Rhein main a Germany accompanied by her Mother Petra and baby brother Phillip. Four travel agencies As Well As the american embassy about travelling to the states. She was told that German citizens do not need visas if they arc just visiting. But there she stood stranded with the children and a military id card that expired that Day. And the baby a clothes and food were in her husbands suitcase winging its Way Over the Atlantic. The Uso trouble shooter called the non commissioned officer in charge of James Farley a unit the 2nd in 67th army in Friedberg. The commander capt. Mark Gavula appeared at the trailer two hours later to drive her to the embassy in Frankfurt where she received her visa in a few minutes. And their enforced delay was comparatively Brief. Petra Farley and the children flew to the states on saturday morning. Copher arranged for word to get to James Farley by then a civilian that his wife would meet him at the Uso in Philadelphia. Only Nicole a wilted Rose was left behind. Ramstein unit lags in gun smoke meet Nellis fab Nev. A the 86th fighter Wing from Ramstein a Germany slipped into sixth place Friday with a total of of 4,770 Points in the air forces tactical gunnery and bombing Competition according to a news release issued saturday. The 20th fighter Wing from Raf upper Heyford England leads the pack off a 11 competitors with 3,391 Points. It was not Clear what the wings Overall standing was in the Competition also known As gun smoke. The 86th�?Ts maintenance Crews scored 598 of 600 possible Points the third time they prepared the wings aircraft for launch during the meet but still fell from fourth to sixth place in Overall maintenance Crew standings with 1,763 Points. The 20th�?Ts maintenance workers were in ninth place with 1,715 Points. In the loading Competition the 86th was tied for sixth place with 1,370 Points and the 20th was in seventh place with 1,170. Ramstein was to finish the loading competitions second phase saturday. The upper Heyford competitors will finish that part of the Competition spots add to trouble list of b-2 bomber by the Baltimore Sun Washington a the troubled b-2 stealth bomber May be vulnerable to advanced heat seeking detection systems being developed by the soviet Union according to scientists and Pentagon advisers on infrared technology. The potential problem stems from the presence of hot spots a chiefly sections of the aircraft a non Metal Lic skin and the intakes tailpipes and exhaust plumes of four Turbofan Jet engines a despite design features that were intended to shield or Cool them. A a tremendous amount of attention has been paid to it but that does no to necessarily mean Success Quot said a Massachusetts based aeronautics expert with Access to classified b-2 design and performance data. He and other specialists interviewed last week disagreed Over How easily an approaching stealth bomber might be discovered by advanced heat seeking sensors known to the military As infrared search and track systems. But they All acknowledged that a once spotted by radar or other methods of detection a the b-2 risked being targeted successfully by the infrared systems aboard enemy aircraft. A if a fighter can get in Range of its Tail the b-2 plane is dead a said the aeronautics expert. Questions about the bombers stealth Ness have been mounting since the air Force disclosed last month that one of three existing planes failed to meet radar evading performance standards during a july flight test. Nonetheless Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams has declared the b-2 the a most survivable aircraft in the issues warning Over deep defense trims Cincinnati Ohio up defense Secretary Dick Cheney said saturday that troops can expect less training and equipment and a lower Quality of life it Congress proceeds with substantial cuts it has proposed for the defense budget. Congress wants to reduce the Pentagon budget by $20 billion without trimming the number of personnel in the National guard or military reserves Cheney told delegates at the convention of the National federation of Republican women. A that Means i am going to have to spread the costs of maintaining the number of troops by taking away from things like equipment training and the Basic care of our armed forces Quot Cheney said. Cheney said although a defense budget reduction is warranted it needs to be done More gradually. A a we be never done this right before a he said. A a we be always blown it by Congress approving reductions that Are More rapid than they Are
