Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-06
NATO Sword
Appears Short
OF Red Power
BY Benz PRICE

IN@AN @NOA va AAbAaANAS 4AS&NJ
ganization.
When you begin asking speci-
fic questions about the length
>>~~-~--~-~
Third OF q Series
of the sword and the temper
of its cutting edge, NATO Of
ficials become vague. What the
Supreme Headquarters. Allied
Powers, Europe (SHAPE), con-
siders an adequate air umbrella
for Central Europe has never
been announced,
There are 80 short-range
missile battalions in Europe.
The goal is 100 such battalions
by 1868.
RedstOne Groups
At the moment the heaviest
missile counter-punch available
to the Allies on the continent
itself consists Of two Redstone
missile groups attached to the
United States Army (Europe)
command at Heidelberg.
A Redstone group contains
two batteries and each battery
has one firing section. In brief,
the Army could launch about
four Redstones with atomic
warheads simultaneously and
about two to three hours later
could launch another four.
Officially, the Redstone mis-
sile has a 200-mile range. IN
officially, it can be fueled to
go 500.
In addition to the Redstone.
the United States Army has a
classified number of 90-mile
range Corporal guided missiles.
The United States Air Force
has a squadron Of Matador
missiles near Sembach. Ger
many. They are currently being
replaced with the 650-miIe
range, subsonic Mace-A mis-
sile, a sort of unnamed
bomber.
In December, 1857, the NATO
Council agreed in principle to
grid Europe for push-button
warfare, using primarily United
States developed intermediate
range ballistic missiles
(IRBMs) of 1,500-mile range.
An unknown number of such
missiles now are deployed near
the continent in England.
Sites in Britain
While the British never have
officially disclosed the number
of launching sites for the
IRBMs, a labor dispute brought
out the fact in a London court
last June that five launching
pads have been built and Is
more are under construction.
Britain has adopted the
United States Air Force Thor,
but whether each site is
manned by the equivalent of a
United States missile squadron
is unknown. A United States
Thor squadron handles Is mis-
Siles.
AS for the rest of Central
Europe, only the Netherlands
has indicated a willingness to
have IRBM launching sites
built on her soil. France has
declined because the United
States will not give her control
of the atomic warheads. Ger
many has said she is content
with battlefield type rockets
such as the Honest John, a 20
mile range projectile. Outside
Central Europe, Italy has
agreed in principle to accept
intermediate range missiles but
negotiations have begged on
technical points that have not
been made public.
Gen. Jean-Etienne Valluy,
commander in chief of the
allied forces in Central Europe,
estimates that he now can
muster between $500 and 1000
jet aircraft - fighter bombers
and fighter-interceptors.
For long-range striking pow
er the allies can bring to bear
the deep penetration capabil-
tiles of the United States Air
Forces Strategic Air Com
mand, which has bases in
England, North Africa, Turkey
and Spain.
Handicap in France
The NATO air picture was
hurt by French refusal to al
low atomic bombs to be stored
on her soil unless she is given
atomic know-how and control
of the bombs.
On July 8 the United States
announced that three fighter
bomber wingS-200 planes
would be transferred out of
France and most sent to Eng
land. Since the bombers based
in France would have to go
elsewhere to be loaded with
A-bombs, the United States
decided they were useless in
France.
This leaves only the LIST Royal
Canadian Air Division, 300 F.
Sc interceptors, as the only
major NATO air force in
France.
Reinforcing the NATO air
forces is the fast-growing West
German Air Force. At pres
ent the Germans have about
$50 of the Subsonic F-84 Re
public built and some F-86
Lockheed jets. BY 1963-64. the
West Germans expect to have
an air force of 1000 first line
jets.
The British have contributed
$50 Canberra bombers and
Hawker-Hunter supersonic in
terceptors to the NATO force.
By and large, the United
States Air Force, equipped with
Century Series" aircraft-F-
zoos through F-104s-consti-
tutes the backbone of the de-
fensive and counter offensive
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