Fog, sandstorms ground Navy flights in northern Gulf

ABOARD THE USS CONSTELLATION-All flight operations were suspended here Wednesday night and seven planes were diverted to land in Bahrain because a thick fog and powerful sandstorms created almost zero visibility for pilots flying in the northern Persian Gulf.

Rear Adm. Barry Costello, commander of the aircraft carrier Constellation Battle Group, told reporters here the poor flying conditions were not unusual in a region where weather changes can be rapid and dramatic. He said sand and dust storms occur year-round, but are more likely to happen in the fast-approaching drier months.

Costello said the threat of such storms would not force U.S. war planners to either accelerate or delay a possible war on Iraq. Some sensitive radar equipment on destroyers and cruisers in the battle group will have to be cleaned and, in some cases, air filters replaced to ensure the systems are not hindered by sand and dust particles generated by storms, he said.

Navy Capt. Mark Fox, commander of air operations on the Constellation, said such conditions during a war would make life "miserable" for pilots, but planes could be flown in any conditions if necessary. Still, he said, military planners would most likely pick a day for air strikes that would be more advantageous for pilots.

The bad weather, with winds of more than 30 miles per hour, generated fog banks on the Constellation's hangar deck, causing caused the carrier to sound its foghorn throughout the night. Before the fog set in, 15 air missions were launched over the southern no-fly zone in Iraq. None of the planes were directly fired upon, but there were some signs of surface-to-air weapons being launched by Iraq at allied planes, pilots reported.

Additionally, Costello said destroyers in the battle carrier group completed an exercise testing command and control systems for Tomahawk missiles Wednesday. No missiles were fired during the exercise, but communications lines from the National Command Center to the Navy's regional headquarters in Bahrain and out to the carrier group were tested.

Costello played down recent reports that British forces may pull out of an allied attack on Iraq. He called British naval contributions in the region "huge" and said he looked forward to working with the British, who he said, are already doing a "great job."