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Show PAGE 4-WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGER, JULY 17, 1970 Two Pershing missiles fired from Utah site Two Pershing missiles were fired from Black Mesa, near Blanding, Utah, to impacts on target on White Sands Missile Range Tuesday morning. The long-range artillery systems were launched by troop units of the Seventh U. S.Army. The firing troops were flown from Europe, where they are deployed with operational defense forces. The first round was launched at 9:35 a.m., and the second just 25 minutes Liter at 10 a.m. The newer P-1A model ground support equipment was used for the firings. The rounds were designated as DASO (Demonstration and Shakedown Operations) rounds. Tuesday's firings brought to 10 the number of Pershings fired in the current series. The series began in April. Two more rounds are scheduled early in August to conclude the series. Technical and administrative support for the Seventh Army units was provided by the 2nd Battalion, 44th Artillery, 9th Field Artillery (Missile) Group, a Fourth U. S. Army element from Ft. Sill, Okla. The 2nd Battalion supports all firings in the Pershing off-range program and operates the camp onBlacV Mesa. f- Instrumentation, range control, communications, meteorology and ground and flight safety support were provided by WSMR organizations. Others participating included the Pershing Project Manager's Office of Redstone Arsenal, Ala., and the U. S. Army Field Artillery Missile Systems Evaluation Group of Ft. Sill, as well as employes of a number of Army contractors. Prime contractor for the two-stage Pershing system is the Orlando, Fla., division of the Martin Marietta Corp. Four of the 10 rounds fired thus far in the 1970 spring series of off-range Pershing firings were launched by troops units of the Federal Republic of Germany Air Force. These rounds, designated as ASP ( Annual Service Practice) rounds, were launched using the older P-l model ground support equipment. Other units of the Seventh U. S. Army, using the P-1A equipment, will fire the final rounds of the series in August. |