Is a Royal Jordanian Jet that landed at Love Field on Monday–officially to pick up commercial antennas–actually being loaded up with “top secret radio-radar missile-tracking equipment”? Speculation has soared following a report in the Dallas Morning News and a follow up investigation by Jimmy Wisch, editor publisher of the Texas Jewish Post, who reported his findings to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and is front-paging this in the latest issue of his newspaper.
According to the Morning News, quoting what it called a reliable source, about $2.5 million worth of the “top secret radio- radar missile-tracking equipment” manufactured by Collins Radio Company, the largest maker of sophisticated electronic aviation equipment, was being readied at the airfield for shipment to Jordan. The Jet had arrived on an unusual nonstop Jordan-to-Dallas flight, supposedly transporting Jet engines to be overhauled. Round-the-clock armed guards patrolled the area.
The News quoted Collins vice-president John McElroy as telling it: “In this case there Is nothing I should say and there Is nothing you should say to anyone about It. What you better do, and I’m advising It new, is to say nothing about It.” A State Department spokesman contacted by the News said of the alleged “top secret” contents: “Frankly, that’s a little preposterous.” The United States, which supplies arms to Israel and some Arab countries, trains Jordanian pilots in Texas.
REPORTEDLY STANDARD CATALOGUE ITEMS
Wisch told the JTA that Braniff Airlines, which Is handling the freight disposition on the current shipment, would not reveal the contents of the crates, claiming this was confidential between Collins and the Jordanian government. On previous flights, planes coming to this country from Jordan touched down at Miami or other East Coast ports for Inspection and to abide by other flight and/or governmental regulations.
Wisch tried to reach Collins president Robert C. Wilson, but he was unavailable for comment. Joe Brown, director of advertising and public relations for Collins, a division of North American Aviation that regularly ships electronic equipment to Jordan, told the Texas Jewish Post that the crates’ contents were “standard catalogue items used for telecommunications” that were “being exported under normal Department of Commerce license.” He said he “couldn’t see how this could be used for space tracking,” and said “It’s worth about $100,000.”
Suggesting that the Jordanian Embassy in Washington might have more details, Brown said he would ask and then call the Jewish Post back. Half an hour later, Wisch stated, Brown reported that the contents were “composed of hf (high-frequency) antennas which could not be used in missile-tracking” but only for “commercial telecommunications purposes” like “air-to-ground communications.” Wisch commented to the JTA: “How do a few measly closely guarded antennas worth a paltry $100,000 become hush-hush, ‘top secret’ in the first place?” (See P. 3 for reaction from Washington.)
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
