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Show A2 The "Tiimes-Indepencbnt Moab, Utah Thursday, June 3, 1971 Launching* to Continue At SE Utah Sites The Army last Wednesday informed Sen. Wallace F. Bennett, R-Utah, that present plans call for/ continued use of the Black Mesa and Green River missile launching sites near Moafo. The announcement came Shortly after the spread of rumors locally, that the bases' would be shut down and the operations transferred to Cape Kennedy in Florida., ...'.. . . . Black Mesa, in San Juan. County, has been the launch site for intermediate range firings of the Army's Pershing Missile. Green Ri-tver is the launch site for the Air Force's Athena Missile and, more recently, for" long-range Pershing tests. The missiles impact at White Sands, N,M. In answer to Sen. Ben-nett's query, an Army De-(partment spokesman said "Black Mesa site was placed in standjby condition, following .the last of the intermediate-range Pershing tests in December, 1970. Since Pershings now requires no intermediate-range testing until the fall of 1972, Black Mesa site is not expected to be utilized until then, barring unforeseen contingencies." The spokesman explained that long-range Pershing firings were moved from Gilson Butte, to> Green River, "to decrease logistical and administrative costs." Pershing firings from the silte, which also handles Athena, -began on April 27> 1971. The Army spokesman said it is anticipated the level of Army testing in Utah during the 1972 fiscal year, beginning July 1, will remain approximately the ;same as during the past /two' years. Earlier, the Air Force informed Sen. Bennett it iplans to launch between seven and nine Athena missiles during fiscal 1972 from the Green River facility, and that launchings> will continue "for the fore-seable future." The newest version of Athena is 61 feet long, weighs 32,000 pounds, and carry a payload of 200 pounds. Pershing is a two-stage, solid-fueled tactical missile. It is about 33 feet long. PAGE 2-WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGER. JUNE 11, 1971 Last Pershing fired from Utah The last round of the current series of Pershing missile firings was successfully launched at 2:31 p.m. Tuesday from the White Sands Missile Range launch complex near Green River, Utah. The round, fired by soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 44th Artillery, from Ft. Sill, Okla., impacted as programmed on the range. It was the twelfth round fired in the current series. A second series of Pershing launches has been scheduled between September and November. U.S. Army troops are slated to fire 13 missiles from McGregor Range during the fall series. |