failing of the Harrier.--Stephen V Cole

The Hellenic Air Force (i.e., Greece) is conducting final acceptance trials for the Autonomous Freeflight Dispenser System. This is a glide bomb built by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company; Greece is so far the only customer. The AFDS has a range of 20-25km when launched from high altitude and 8-10km when launched from low altitude. The AFDS weighs 600kg and can carry any of six different submunitions. (The Greeks ordered theirs with 24 runway-cratering 16kg submunitions.) Greece has given French companies $1.43 billion in contracts covering 15 new production Mirage-2000-5-Mk2 attack aircraft (due for delivery in late 2003), upgrading 10 older Mirage-2000s to that standard, buying 200 MICA air-to-air missiles, and 56 SCALP air-to-surface missiles. The deal is regarded as a consolation prize to the French, since the Greeks just selected the Eurofighter Typhoon over the