THE REAL WAR

To The Editors of the Crimson:

Has the Crimson decided that the war in Laos. Cambodia, and Vietnam is only hypothetical? I get that impression from the toile of your article "NDAG Begins Winter Activity" on 4 December.

You refer to "what it (NDAG) calls the 'automated battlefield' in Southeast Asia." The Senate Armed Services Committee formed an Electronic Battlefield subcommittee more than a year ago, and the phrases electronic or automated battlefield have been used regularly in the press. At the Senate hearings. Major Raymond Anderson of their Air Force Tactical Operations Directorate described an integrated system of sensors and munitions that is now being dropped in Indochina:

(Classified exhibit). First, the road is cut at a point difficult to bypass, using highly accurate guided weapons. Laser-guided bombs have been performing most of this function.

(Classified exhibit). Next, antimaterial landmines are emplaced. These mines will destroy as truck if one enters the mined areas.

(Classified exhibit). Third, antipersonnel landmines are emplaced over the antimaterial mines to deter the enemy's mine-clearing operations. WAAPM (wide area antipersonnel mine--cluster bomb unit) has been used in this role.

(Classified exhibit). Forth, sensors on both sides of the munitions package, determine if truck traffic is getting through the package. Sensors in others locations are used to determine other routes taken by the enemy if he cannot get through the munitions package. By creating a difficult-to-bypass choke point, munitions packages can also result in a concentration of enemy vehicles. These can then be attacked using CBU-24 and general-purpose bombs.

Then you refer to an "alleged" $800,000 worth of defense department contracts received by Aerospace. The Deputy Comptroller for Information of the Office of the Secretary of Defense publishes these figures in its "Department of Defense Prime Contractors which Received Awards of $10,000 or more Fiscal Year 19. "For 1969 Aerospace received $425,000 and in 1970 $315,000. (Figures for 1971 are not yet available, but just the contracts we have identified for 1971 bring the total to well over $800,000 in just the last three years according to official sources.)

However, you quote John Burke (company spokesman for Aerospace Research) as simply not having time to discuss "erroneous facts". Not, "allegedly erroneous?"

Finally, you quote Mr. Burke as saying. "Had they come to me before they published these so-called facts. I could have set them straight. "Several weeks ago we spent more than half an hour with Mr. Burke talking about these very facts. At that time (before we were in the media) he spoke candidly of Aerospace's role in developing foliage penetration radar's for the Army, and also discussed Aerospace's attempt at conversion--making burglar alarms. Yesterday we received an informal--but reliable--confirmation in talking with Aerospace workers.

By the way, the war is not just hypothetical--it's killing, wounding, or displacing 138,000 civilians each month. All power to the peaceful people.   Arthur Fink