[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 116 (Tuesday, July 18, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10188-S10189]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  ATF'S PURCHASE OF 22 OV-10D AIRCRAFT

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, a news article in this morning's 
Washington Times says the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms 
recently purchased 22 OV-10D aircraft from the Defense Department.
  These aircraft were used by the Marine Corps in the Vietnam war for 
close air support in combat. They were also used in Operation Desert 
Storm for night observation.
  The aircraft are heavily weapons-capable, especially from a law-
enforcement perspective. ATF says the planes have been stripped of 
their weapons. Their purpose, according to ATF, is for surveillance. 
The planes can locate people on the ground by detecting their body 
heat.
  It's no secret that the ATF is undergoing intense public scrutiny. It 
has done some real bone-headed things. It has been criticized for 
enforcing the law while crossing the line of civil rights protections.
  ATF's credibility will be even further tested the next 2 weeks when 
joint committee hearings are held in the other body on the Waco matter. 
And the Senate Judiciary Committee also will hold hearings on Waco in 
September.
  I raise this issue today, Mr. President, because the purchase of 
these aircraft in the current climate might continue to feed the 
public's skepticism, and erode the pubic's confidence in our law 
enforcement agencies.
  For that reason, it is incumbent upon ATF to fully disclose and fully 
inform the public as to the purchase of these aircraft.
  First, what, specifically, will they be used for?
  Second, where will they be located?
  Third, what assurances are there that the planes will remain unarmed?
  The sooner these questions are answered by ATF--openly and candidly--
the less chance there is that the public's skepticism will grow.
  Mr. President, the continued credibility of the ATF is on the line, 
in my judgment. At times such as these, when scrutiny is at its 
highest, the best strategy is to go on the offense. Spare no expense in 
disclosing fully and swiftly. Because full and swift disclosure is the 
first step in restoring credibility.
  The ATF's credibility is important not just for itself, but for law 
enforcement in general. There is much work to do to restore the 
public's trust and confidence. I hope that ATF will step up to the 
challenge and provide the necessary assurances.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Washington Times 
article, written by Jerry Seper, be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               [From the Washington Times, July 18, 1995]

                 ATF Gets 22 Planes To Aid Surveillance


                   Weapons-capable aircraft repainted

                            (By Jerry Seper)

       The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has obtained 22 
     counterinsurgency, heavy-weapons-capable military aircraft.
       The 300-mph OV-10D planes--one of several designations used 
     by the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War for gunfire and 
     missile support of ground troops, and by the Air Force during 
     Operation Desert Storm for night observation--have been 
     transferred from the Defense Department to ATF.
       The turboprop aircraft, which will be used for day and 
     night surveillance support, were designed to locate people on 
     the ground through their body heat.
       When used by the military services, the planes were 
     equipped with infrared tracking systems, ground-mapping 
     radar, laser range-finders, gun sights and 20mm cannons.
       ATF spokeswoman Susan McCarron confirmed yesterday that the 
     agency had obtained the aircraft but noted they had been 
     stripped of their armament. She said that nine of the OV-10Ds 
     were operational and that the remaining 13 were being used 
     for spare parts.
       ``We have nine OV-10Ds that are unarmed; they have no 
     weapons on them,'' Ms. McCarron said. ``They are being used 
     for surveillance and photography purposes. The remainder are 
     being used for spare parts.''
       Ms. McCarron said the aircraft were obtained by ATF from 
     the Defense Department ``when DOD was getting rid of them,'' 
     and that other agencies also had received some of the 
     airplanes.
       General Service Administration records show that some of 
     the unarmed aircraft also were transferred to the Bureau of 
     Land Management for use in survey work, while others went to 
     the California
      Forestry Department for use in spotting fires and in 
     directing ground and aerial crews in combating them.
       Other models of the OV-10 also are being used by officials 
     in Washington state for nighttime surveillance of fishing 
     vessels suspected of overfishing the coastal waters.
       The transfer of the aircraft to ATF comes at a time of 
     heightened public skepticism and congressional scrutiny of 
     the agency's ability to enforce the law without trampling on 
     the rights of citizens.
       The ATF's image suffered mightily in the aftermath of its 
     1993 raid and subsequent shootout at the Branch Davidian 
     compound in Waco, Texas, during which four agents and six 
     Davidians were killed. It sustained another public-relations 
     blow after it was revealed that ATF agents helped organize a 
     whites-only ``Good O' Boys Roundup'' in the Tennessee hills.
       Hearings of the Waco matter begin tomorrow in the House. A 
     Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the racist trappings of 
     the roundup is scheduled for Friday.
       One Senate staffer yesterday said there was ``some real 
     interest'' in the ATF's acquisition of the aircraft, and that 
     questions ``probably will be asked very soon of the agency'' 
     about the specifics of their use and locations where they 
     have been assigned.
       According to federal law enforcement sources and others, 
     including two airline pilots who have seen and photographed 
     the ATF planes, two of the combat-capable aircraft--known as 
     ``Broncos''--have been routed to Shawnee, Okla., where they 
     were painted dark blue over the past month at an aircraft 
     maintenance firm known as Business Jet Designs Inc.
       Michael Pruitt, foreman at Business Jet Designs, confirmed 
     yesterday that two of the ATF aircraft had been painted at 
     the Shawnee site and that at least one more of the OV-10Ds 
     ``was on the way.'' Mr. Pruitt said the aircraft were painted 
     dark blue with red and white trim. The sources said the paint 
     jobs cost the ATF about $20,000 each.
       The firm's owner, Johnny Patterson, told associates last 
     month he expected to be painting at least 12 of the ATF 
     aircraft but was unsure whether he could move all of them 
     fast enough through his shop. Mr. Patterson was out of town 
     yesterday and not available for comment.
       According to the sources, the ATF's OV-10Ds, recently were 
     overhauled under the government's Service Life Extension 
     Program and were equipped with a state-of-the-art forward-
     looking infrared system that allows the pilot to locate and 
     identify targets at nights--similar to the tracking system 
     used on the Apache advanced attack helicopter.
       Designed by Rockwell International, the OV-10D originally 
     was outfitted with two 7.62mm M-60C machine guns, each with 
     500 

[[Page S 10189]]
     rounds of ammunition. It also was modified to carry one Sidewinder 
     missile under each wing, Snakeye bombs, fire bombs, rocket 
     packages and cluster bombs.
       The OV-10D can carry a 20mm gun turret with 1,500 rounds of 
     ammunition.
       During the Vietnam War, two OV-10Ds were used for a variety 
     of missions during a six-week period and flew more than 200 
     missions in which they were credited with killing 300 enemy 
     troops and saving beleaguered outposts from being overrun by 
     the communists.
     

                          ____________________