Pentagon Eyes Russian Missile Expertise

The Defense Department’s “Star Wars” defense system office has a detailed plan to obtain Russian missile technology and scientists at bargain prices, perhaps as little as $5,000 a year per person, Aviation Week reported Friday.

The office has asked the Bush Administration to approve the $50-million plan, which would be a small fraction of the $5.4 billion the White House is seeking for antiballistic missile programs for the next fiscal year, according to the magazine report.

Citing Western engineers familiar with the Strategic Defense Initiative office plan, Aviation Week said the plan calls for the United States to hire more than 1,000 former Soviet scientists and engineers.

Aviation Week said in its report that SDI program aides did not respond to queries on cooperation with the Russians.

The SDI office concluded a survey of available Soviet antiballistic missile technology last year and identified U.S. government labs and private companies to work on each of the acquired technologies, the report said.