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s ems engineering process and to man- §e the contract between Spain and tarv^ ^or integrating non-foreign mili- sv t Sa'£S subsystems into the combat the t^- ^*lese subsystems are primarily f taJian-built Neptunel electronic war- I e suite and the Spanish Meroka close- co WeaPon system.) Headed by a line Rimander, the Spanish Navy contin- also has an engineering duty com- fjcanc*er’ several engineering and line of- ers, and technical petty officers to the n>or chief (E-8) level. te Principe De Asturias’ combat sys- J” w'i* be shipped to Spain after testing, g ete it will be installed in the ship at 2an. Once the combat system is in ace and final outfitting of the ship is
complete, sustained operations should follow quickly. The Spanish have already started an aggressive training program for navy and industrial personnel at the SNTIF. This program is scheduled to continue and intensify, and the Spanish are receiving a combat information center team trainer, also under contract with Sperry. This team trainer will measurably enhance operational readiness for the carrier (and the FFG-7 frigates). In addition, air wing components are currently operational in the Dedalo, and they should remain as such until R-ll is completed.
Recent events have proven the Spanish decision to build a new class of carrier to be a sound one. With four close-in weapon system mounts and chaff, R-l 1 can defend herself against antiship missiles. Her air wing will be capable in all major mission areas, and the viability of V/STOLs has been firmly established.
When the Principe De Asturias is commissioned, she will be a formidable ship and the flagship of an impressive naval task group. R-ll represents sound technologies melded into a singular fighting ship by well-thought plans and programs. Her presence in the Spanish Navy will be important, and she will be a welcome addition to her country’s defenses.
Commander Purnell is a combat systems engineer with Sperry Corporation’s Electronic Systems Operation, headquartered in Great Neck, New York.
Kiel to Port Stanley: The Arms Sales Debate
■V ^°achim Krause and Gale A. Mattox
(W ^edera' Republic of Germany eest Germany) is the world’s fifth larg- in ,arrns exporting country. As a leading ustrial nation, the fact that West Ger- any has developed an armaments indus- is h hard‘y surPrising- What is striking ‘hat significant portions of those exports
“aval
the
especially to the Third World, are arms. However, it is possible that experience of the Falkland Islands onflict may mean a more cautious pos- re by West Germany in its future naval Sports.
a S'nce World War II, West German export policy has been clearly reactive, denying the purchase of weap- s by certain countries, such as the re. nt Saudi Arabian bid to purchase eopard II tanks. During this period, val sales appeared to avoid the close rutiny that other types of armament
sales received, and constituted by far the largest proportion of overall sales. In 1975-1980, approximately 88% of all arms sales (about $1.5 billion) to the Third World were naval vessels. This latter phenomenon is the result of both an unwillingness to involve West Germany in any possible conflict situation, and the desire to maintain a shipbuilding capacity for its domestic maritime and defense needs.
Three events hold potential significance for this export market and indicate a rethinking of the West German arms policy: (1) in April 1982, the Schmidt Government announced a revision of the 1971 arms export guidelines; (2) simultaneous with that announcement, the Falkland Islands Conflict between Argentina and Great Britain erupted and brought into question some long-held assumptions in German arms export policy with the Third World about the probability of naval conflict in the nuclear age; and (3) in October 1982, a Christian Democratic coalition government headed by Helmut Kohl replaced the Social Democratic government of Helmut Schmidt. These events have underlined the difficulties of constructing a coherent policy that answers both the historical constraints on West Germany’s arms policy, as well as the needs of the maritime and defense industries. To address these issues ade-
The Pisagua, pictured leaving Kiel last spring, is one of six “Type-209” submarines in the Peruvian Navy.
West German-built submarines have sold like Japanese cars, and they serve in many Third World navies.