$50 billion killer satellites proposed
WASHINGTON (AP) — The concept is staggering:
stationing 432 killer satellites in orbit, each with 40-50
rockets ready to knock out attacking Soviet missiles
before they can reach their American targets The cost:
$50 billion
The plan, labeled High Frontier, was introduced to
the public in March Its chief architect says it has
received considerable attention on Capitol Hill and
some response in the White House — but little notice
from the State Department and a cold shoulder from the
Pentagon.
We have several hurdles to get over, but we feel
confident," said retired Army Lt Gen Daniel Graham,
former head of the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence
Agency and a military advisor to Pres Ronald Reagan
during the 1980 presidential campaign "We hope
within a month or so to have either an amendment in
Congress or instructions for the administration to
consider."
High Frontier resulted from a seven-month study
commissioned by The Heritage Foundation, a con
servative, Washington-based public policy research
institute It was drawn up by a team of 31 scientists,
space engineers, economists and military strategists
directed by Graham.
Other proposals in the plan are a defense system
around U S ballistic missile silos, an advanced manned
space shuttle to open up industrialization of space and
development of solar power satellites to beam enerqy to
Earth
The killer satellite network is the centerpiece of the
plan and has drawn the most attention and created the
most controversy
Graham said that perhaps the biggest obstacle to
the satellites is the large political community that
advocates the Mutual Assured Destruction doctrine,
under which nuclear war becomes "unthinkable" as
long as each side retains enough nuclear bombs for a
second strike
With 432 killer satellites in orbit, Graham said, at
least one-fourth of them would be in position at any time
to repulse a Russian missile attack They wouid be in
two layers — the first to intercept rockets as they rise
into the atmosphere, the second to knock out those
along the path to their target in case they get by the
initial defense line
Here's how the system would work
• A Soviet missile bursts out of its silo aimed at a
target in the United States or Western Europe
• An American early warning satellite tracks the
missile using infrared sensors and radar and computes
its course, selecting a high-probability point in the
atmosphere through which the missile will pass
• A designated killer satellite launches one of its
rocket-propelled canisters containing a conventional
explosive at the interception point As the canister
nears the missile it explodes, somewhat tike a grenade,
into several hundred small explosives, some of which
hit and destroy the missile
• Any missile which penetrates both layers of the
satellite defense is cleaned up by a ground-based
anti-missile net protecting U S silos
Graham said that even though he had been a
Reagan military adviser just two years ago, he had
some initial trouble getting through the palace guard"
in attempts to present the plan to the White House
But in recent weeks, he said, he has talked with
White House science officials, and we believe the
presidential science advisor. Dr George Key worth, is
moving from a rather negative view to a view that we
should have a spaceborne defense system against
missies " However, Graham said, Keyworth's concepts
might not necessarily agree with those of High Frontier
On Pentagon reaction. Graham said: This is one
source of difficulty, and understandably so, because
we re recommending a major shift in strategy that
knocks over a lot of programmatic apple carts
Some defense officials, he said, might fear a loss of
authority in the High Frontier recommendation that
development of the killer satellite force be given in
dependent status so it can be implemented quickly
Graham said, however, he was encouraged when
Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger recently spoke
of the need for a space-based defense system against
missiles
Graham said major High Frontier supporters in
Congress, all Republican, are Sens Jesse Helms of
North Carolina. William V Roth of Delaware. William l
Armstrong of Colorado and Malcolm Wallop of Wyom
ing and Reps G. William Whitehurst of Virginia. Newt
Gingrich of Georgia and Kenneth B Kramer of Colora
do
He said he plans to meet soon with Sen Gary Hart
of Colorado, a liberal Democrat who has expressed an
interest in the plan
Graham said there are conservative supporters
who worry that High Frontier might be pushed by
liberals as an alternative, rather than a supplement, to a
build-up in conventional and strategic forces. More
than one program has survived development stages
only to be dropped when ready for building, he noted
That. Graham said, is why the system must have
guaranteed funding over several years and be con
structed quickly He reported the estimated cost at $50
billion over 10 years Of this, $35 million would be
Defense Department money, the rest from the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration
KOIN-TV compromises
in transcript subpeona
PORTLAND, (AP) — A compromise has been
reached between a Portland television station
and attorneys on the number of news materials
the station will provide in response to a defense
subpoena in a federal bank robbery case
The news logs and broadcast transcripts were
being sought from KOIN-TV. along with material
from other area news organizations, in connec
tion with a motion for a change of venue The
defense attorneys contend that pretrial publicity
has made it impossible for their clients to receive
a fair trial in Portland.
Officials at KOIN-TV originally were directed in
a subpoena to turn over all news logs and
transcripts dealing with the defendants since Feb
5.
f«^Q°s56*
Making A Career Decision
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