JHE WEEK /USA probes mystery reported off Japan By -Derek Wood cloud ry cloud, possibly re AMIERICAN EXPERTS are investigating a myste sulips from some form of ex* losion, which P caused an airline pilot to call an emergency course deviation over the Pacific last month. On 9 April at 1409 GMT, a Japartme Airlines Boeing 747 freighter en route Jersoy"r New Tokyo-Anchorage, at . 33000 ft, 1 encountei@ed 'the phenoinenon,@370 km, east' . iof Miyako on -the coast:.of @14onshu.@-- ThC t ransit s capWn, aTor-mer US Air'Force B-52 pilot, made a mayday ciill and reported a cloud C l form resembling the top half of a ball which I anama ana quadi-upled in size in 30 secohids and rose to ovei 18 280 m. He w@s given perinissioh to change course on the airway to avoid the cloud. His sighting was.confirmed by KLM and JAL pmenger flights in the area and by two flying Tiger cargo aircraft. All five airUners werd checked on arrival in Alaska for radioactivity but none was found. The US Federal Aviation Authority issued a NOTAM warning of a possible radiological event before the aircraft nip arrived for checking. The NOTAM was still in force at the time of writing. US militiifty sources reported no seismic or nuclear activity at the time. The National Oceanic and Atifiospheric Administration satelli'te surveillance section had pictures about two hours after the report, showing a ' u rc area but obscured by clear high press cirrus cloud. Some IS hours - later the satellite found thin cirrus cloud 6ver the area, with a 'boomerang' shaped cloud near the surface but well to the west over Japan at 409N, 141 OE. NASA has since been doing computer work to determine the cloud's height and temperature. The week before the incident the FAA A The .45 000 ton battleship USS New Jersey issued a NOTAM on possible SciViet tests at squeezes through the Panama Cv&W looks oh 27 April on to ure to L ong B each, . Cafiforbia, a h er an 47*N, 150*E but thei-e-is nothing to relate extended tour of duty off the icoast of Lebanon these to the cloud. IAP Leserphoto) Me'-xi to.buys, Panhard. VBL scout car By Adria in English THE MEXICAN Government has become the first recorded purchaser of th a new.-Panhard v6hioule blind6 16ger IVBU-scoUt car,with an order for;27 vehicles. The V8L, cle4o"ped in response. to a requirement-by the French Army for a light armoured reconnaissance vehicle in the three tonne range, -accommodates normal crew of three in a fully enclosed body measiuring 3 - 7 m long by 2 - 02 m ivide and has a nett height of 1 - 70 m to. top oi hull The fr6ni-mounted 2500 cc Peugeot XD3T water-cooled four-cylinder diesel engine produces 95.hp at 4150 rpm and gives a maximum road speed oi 95 km/h and -a maximum range of 750 km. Nortrial armament consists of e'ring- mo unted 7-62 mm machine gun, &IJhDUgh a nur@nber of alternative armament fits are on offer. B elono air show SPAIN IS TO join the intemational DiT show scene this year with its own Cosmo-84 which is to be held in Barcelona 2.10 June, with emphasis.on the South and Central American, African and Arab markets. The material on show will range from military aircraft and their equipment, through items such as avionics and navigation equipment, to the components industry and general aviation. Cosmo 84 is being held in co-operation with the ilaTcelona Fair and the static exhibition will be in Hall No I of the Barcelona Exhibition Centre. Aircraft e;ihibitors will have air- conditioned bungalows at the International Airport. Big pxponsion prolected,for I ndian' Navy By PusKpind& 'S'iing'h in'New De6i CONCERNED, WITH thi growing "miUtarisation of the Indian convintional armament), 'Kr@sta-11' class cruisers and additional Ocean", the Indian Governmeni Is understood to have,stipulated 'Kashin-111 class guided ri-issile.destroyers from the Soviet Union. long-term perspective plans to enhance the blue-water capabilities Also planned foi acquisition are four more 'NanuchkA-11" of the Indian Navy and give a new dimension to'lts iWke power. rrilssile-corveftes and up to six more' 'Natya' class ocean 7be plans include expansion ofindigenous warship. production minesweepers. The Indian Navy is interesied in the longer range (missille-equipped Godavad class frigates and HDW-designed SSKs ship-latin*ched SS-N-14 missiles along with associated radar, for are to be built at Mazagaon Dockyards, Bombay, while fast patrol fittritnt on the planned cruisers and destr6yers. craft and other smaller vessels are built at Oarden Reach Meanwhile,* INAS 300 'White Tigers' are.now fully operational Workshops, Calcutta), as well as acquisition of a new generation of with the Sea 14arrier FRS Mk 51 on board the carrier INS r1kra,ni cruisers, destroyers, long-range surface-to-surface missiles and the and discussions continue for a follow-on batch of more Sea .% oth ihe FRS Mk 51 and T 60 two-stat trainer. latest ECM equipmenAp roygd Fo 2 g Release X *mg Naval commentators 156fieve e mo errusation ORRIN 6fC PA7Q"1%QWxW0%SW force is also being the navy would require ibout 5000 more personnel in various substantially auigmented by 2D Sea King Mk 42B helicopters.'ritted ------- 4- with. MEL Super Searcher radar. The.Sea Engle anti-ship missile