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Show ,,n,i, 6F The Salt Lake Tribune iv Sunday, April 7, 1985 Reagans Star Wars Launches a Rush for Possible Contracts Continued From F-- l on ultrafast computers, lasers, invulnerable metals, smart ammunition and energy propellants and put much of it in space to zap any enemy missiles that might be hurled at America or its allies? Hit Bullet With Bullet Space-base- d sensors would track missiles as they were launched, trajectories would be computed and satbattle stations ellite or ground-basewould retaliate to knock out the intruders with lasers or smart rocks, projectiles capable of hitting a bullet with a bullet. The hope was to build an invulnerable defensive system that would make the Soviet Unions ballistic missiles impotent. Reagan even suggested that once the system were built the United States could share it with the Soviets. Then both sides would have no need for nuclear weapons, the arsenals would be scrapped and the world would be safe, under its umbrella of defenses. space-base- d In the same way that the scientific community rose to President Kennedys challenge to put an American on the moon by the end of the 1960s, the scientists of the 1980s and 1990s were being asked f6r a concentrated surge of brain power and energy to answer this new and noble call, Reagan said. It was immediately apparent, however, that while the manned space program involved application of proven theories, an engineering task, Star Wars would require scientific breakthroughs. Will Require More Funds It also would require vaster sums than the $24 billion 8100 billion in 1980s dollars that it cost to send a man to the moon in 1969. Even before Reagans announcement, billions of dollars had been spent on lasers and other space-ag- e military technology usable in an missile defense system. The current five-yeplan calls for spending about $26 billion through 1989, of which about 817 billion would have been spent anyway. Predicting the costs of a deployable system is a bit dicier, notably because operators of the program cannot put a price tag on hardware that exists only on paper. In addition, the administration has said repeatedly that the Strategic Derefense Initiative is only a five-yesearch project that could fatl to come up with a system worthy of deployment. ; Air Force Col. Thomas Fiorino, who is working on a Strategy for the program, said many of the popular estimates could be as much as 300 percent off the mark. d anti-ballist- ic ar - 1 ar cost-contr- ol But that hasnt stopped people from making them. The Defense Marketing Service, a private company advising corporations on defense procurement, projected spending of 875 billion on research between 1990 and 1994. Richard DeLauer, who was head of Pentagon research when Reagan made the proposal, said it might cost 8300 billion just for a computer system smart enough to sense and track enemy missiles and sophisticated and tough enough to survive in space. Based on such evidence, Sen. Sam used the figure 8500 bilNunn, lion for a finished system. Sen. Alan whose state leads Cranston, the nation in receipts from defense spending, came up with 81 trillion a figure quickly picked up by Sagan and other scientists who oppose the program. They believe that constructing an invulnerable system is impossible and that it would be a waste of money to build a system that would still allow enemy missiles to penetrate and wipe out even one American city. Far From Sheepish Although it wont speculate about potential high prices, the Pentagons office is far from strategic-defens- e sheepish about them. In fact, using the lure of profits to whip up enthusiasm is a tenet of a Star Wars philosophy that companies need incentives to devote energy and resources to solving the scientific riddles posed by such a massive undertaking. Air Force Lt. Gen. James the SDI director, calls this the horse race concept. Companies start out evenly in the race to make the necessary discoveries and are rewarded with future contracts if they finish first with the successful solution. As they leave the starting gate, some of the bigger companies are already out front, with prior contracts on ballistic missile defense and laser research. Its the guys with the big experience who are going to get it, says John Pincavage, who follows the aerospace industry for the Paine Webber investment firm. Says SDIs Fiorino: Theres no way to say the Lockheeds, the TRWs, the Hugheses arent going to do well. Thats just the way it is. The standard 50 to 100 companies will benefit. He adds, however, that by 1986 there will be an estimated 400 to 600 confirms with strategic-defens- e tracts. Many of them will benefit from the trickle-dow- n effect of subcontracting by the big firms, but there also is a program to get smaller firms involved on their own. Schafer Associates, a laser re if, near-perfe- Abra-hamso- search firm in Arlington, Va., that employs fewer than 100 people, is working on one of the initial programs. Dale Rowley, an executive at the communications company, Contel Information Systems in Fairfax, Va., another relatively small Star Wars contractor, says the bigger firms like Lockheed will rely on companies like his with expertise in a minute phase of the project. Big firms save money that way because they dont have to create new divisions and hire engineers and scientists for very detailed work. To interest other small companies that dont have giant marketing teams to investigate possible contracts, the strategic defense office has set up a special library with detailed listings of available contracts and information about work being done by other researchers. Expects a Rush InThe library t the stitute for Defense Analysis, a few miles from the Pentagon, in Alexandria, Va. Cathryn C. Lyon, who runs the operation, says that few contractors have used the service so far but she expects a rush as time goes by. Although there is a declassified section in the library, most of the key information is available only to contractors with security clearances. Even more unusual is the establishment of Ionsons office of innovation, which he says is attracting ideas from universities that have not done defense work before. Some of the ideas have already generated interesting possibilities in the production of y laser beams without a nuclear explosion, which would be a major breakthrough and would obviate the need for atomic weapons in space. Gerald Yonas, the SDIs chief scientist, recently told a conference at the National Academy of Sciences, if you have any ideas feel free to write them in. Will Generate Spinoffs Joking about the volume of research already completed, he added: If we take all the papers being generated on this subject and that paper was ignited we would surely have nuclear winter. Yonas is one of many Star Wars scientists who believes the program will generate spinoffs applicable for technology, especially the creation of a new generation of computers. Sagan retorts: Why not spend all the money for such things in the first place. With companies interested in finding out what contracts are available, SDI officials have been in great demand lately at meetings of contrac- is-a- non-prof- it tors seeking work on the program. Defense industry groups like the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics have invited SDI chief Abrahamson to address their conventions and he will be the featured speaker this month at a meeting of the Technical Marketing Society. For 8525 each, registrants will be able to attend two days of Star Wars HI 8500 briefings to help industry "achieve maximum participation in this most dynamic market, a society brochure said. technical developments. At roughly 8600 a copy its a best seller, says Tom Lydon, chief of DMS Washington bureau. The Defense Marketing Service, which has been teaching contractors how to make money from the Pentagon for 25 years, is now selling a spe- Star Wars has spawned a new biweekly newsletter with a 8297 annual subscription called Military Space. 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