ET

British company is asked to rescue US spy plane
By Ben Fenton in Washington

A BRITISH company has been approached to rescue the American spy plane stranded in China.

Pentagon officials asked Antonov Airlines, based at Luton Airport, if it has any planes available to do the job in "late May". The company offered a quote for the work and is waiting for confirmation. Antonov, a collaboration between Air Foyle Ltd and Antonov Design Bureau, a Ukrainian aircraft builder, is the only civilian company outside Russia that operates the huge An-124 transport.

The Russian aircraft is large enough to carry the spy plane, a job that could otherwise only be done by the US air force's C-5 Galaxy. But the Chinese have made it clear in discussions with American negotiators visiting Beijing that they will allow only civilian aircraft to remove the 70-ton EP-3. The Pentagon is unlikely to risk the huge political repercussions of commissioning a Russian company to rescue its plane.

The EP-3 was forced to make an emergency landing on April 1 at an air base on Hainan Island in southern China after colliding with a Chinese F-8 fighter. The fighter crashed and its pilot is missing, presumed dead. The Chinese released the crew of 24 after 11 days of negotiations, but have been keeping the Pentagon on tenterhooks over the aircraft.

Beijing has refused to allow America to fly its plane out despite a damage assessment that showed it could be done after repairs. Now the plane will have to be partially disassembled to be flown out. Antonov Airlines, which has worked for the British and American military in the past, has eight Antonov An-124-100s, aircraft with a cargo bay 120ft long and 21ft wide.

Two of them are based in America. George Short, the company's sales director, said: "We have had discussions with the American government and we are certainly in a position to do the job. I think they are looking for a civilian contractor because that would be a more diplomatic move.

"We understand that the Chinese would not allow the USAF to land a C-5 there." If the wings and tail fins of the EP-3 were removed and placed down the side of the Antonov's cargo bay, the fuselage would fit inside.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2001