U.S. JETS NEAR GULF IMPROVE WAR DATA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000402700083-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 26, 2012
• Sequence Number: 83
• Publication Date: October 9, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/26: CIA-RDP90-00965R000402700083-1
ARTICLE AFE"M
ON PAGE__
TIEW YORK TINES
9 OCTOBER 1980
U.S. JETS NEAR 611LF
IMPROVE WAR DATA
They Monitor Iran's Oil Area From
Over Saudi Arabia -- Ground
Radar Station Is Opened
By RICHARD HALLORAN
Spedr! to Th. New York Ttma
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 - United States
radar planes flying above Saudi Arabia
have enhanced American surveillance of
large parts of the Iraq-Iran battlefield,
including the besieged cities of Khurram-
shahr and Abadan, military analysts said
today.
At the same time, officials here said
that a United States ground radar station
that was sent to improve Saudi air de.
fenses went into operation today, com-
pleting the first phase of American mili-
tary assistance to Saudi Arabia since the
conflict between Its neighbors began. A
communications unit is also in operation,
they said.
In addition, the top American specialist
in air defense, Maj. Gen. John L. Pio?
trowski of the Air Force, started today to
examine Saudi air defenses and to coordi-
nate the operation of the American units
with Saudi radar, communications and
air defense units.
Officials here said that General Pio-
trowski was also studying what other
American help the Saudis might need, in-
cluding more aircraft, if they come under
attack from Iran.
Deployments to Egypt Planned
In related developments, officials did-
closed that 8 to 12 Air Force A-7 attack
planes would accompany a 1,400-member
Army Rapid Deployment Force to the
Egyptian base at Ras Benas, across the
Red Sea from Saudi Arabia, next month.
The United States also plans to send a
squadron of F-4 Phantoms or F-18 fight-
ers to the Egyptian base at Cairo West
this month in a training exercise similar
to one just completed there by a squadron
of Phantoms.
The first of the four Airborne Warning
and Control Aircraft operating over
Saudi Arabia arrived there on Oct. 1 and
went into operation almost immediately.
Three more of the planes, which are mili-
tary versions of the Boeing 707 packed
with electronic sensors and communica-
tions equipment, have since arrived at a
Saudi base near Riyadh.
The planes, known as Awacs, fly an eli-
pitical course close to the border with Ku-
wait in 10-hour shifts, providing 24-hour
coverage. They communicate with an Air
Force ground station in a Saudi opera-
tions center.
What Planes Can 'See'
The Awacs planes can "see" about 250
miles at low altitudes and up to 350 miles
at high altitudes. They can spot aircraft
flying low to elude ground radar as well
as high-flying intruders. The Awacs
planes can also track tanks, trucks and
other vehicles and can monitor ships in
the Persian Gulf.
Analysts here said that the operations
of the Awacs had shown that they could
monitor Iraqi and Iranian battle move-
ments in an arc extending almost as far
north as the Iranian city of Dizful and in-
cluding the Iranian oilfields along the
gulf coast and the oil terminal on Kharg
Island.
An Awacs aloft tranmits information to
the Saudi operations center, where Saudi
officers could use it to guide their fighters.
on air-defense missions. Officials here
said that there had been several training
missions with Saudi fighters but that
there had been no hostile intrusions.
The officials said that care was being
taken to insure that information from the
Awacs planes did not fall into Iraqi hands
because President Carter has asserted
that the United States will remain neutral
in the conflict.
Two Other Units in Operation
They said that the United States had re-
ceived assurances from the Saudi Gov-
ernment that the information would not
be given to the Iraqis. In addition, the of-
ficials said, the information was being
screened and the Saudis were receiving
only what was considered necessary for
their defense.
Officials said that the Carter Adminis-
ttation lens to keep the planes on station i
p
as long as the conflict continues. They
also said that the United States would
offer similar help to other nonbelliger-
ents in the region, but they emphasized
that weapons would not be offered.
The ground radar station that went into
operation today can spot aircraft about
200 miles away and determine their alti-
tude and distance, officials said. It is
placed so that its radar cone comple-
ments a similar Saudi unit, they said.
The officials said that the Air Force
bia enables all American units there to
talk to each other, to talk to the fleet cen-
tered on two aircraft carriers in the Ara-
bian Sea and to communicate with
American military headquarters in Eu-
rope.
With General Piotrowski's 20-member
team, the number of American military
people In Saudi Arabia rose to over 800,
the officials said. About 400 were there
before the conflict as advisers, engineers
on projects and administrative people
handling military sales. Since then, an-
other 400 in flight crews, technicians,
communications specialists and other
support roles have arrived. .
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/26: CIA-RDP90-00965R000402700083-1