LOCAL : Admiral Ousted Over A-12 Flaws

The Navy today announced it is forcing the chief of the Naval Air Systems Command, Vice Adm. Richard C. Gentz, to retire early because he failed to inform top Pentagon officials of serious flaws in the proposed A-12 stealth bomber program.

The program’s executive officer, Rear Adm. John F. Calvert, and manager, Capt. Lawrence G. Elberfeld, have also been reassigned and received letters of censure from Navy Secretary H. Lawrence Garrett III.

Garrett acted on the basis of an internal Navy inquiry into the A-12 program, which is a year behind schedule and at least $1 billion over its development budget of $4.8 billion.

The inquiry said a key failure of the officers responsible for overseeing the A-12 program was unwillingness to pass on negative news about the project’s problems to higher officials and to top Pentagon civilian leaders.