News In Brief

US Navy airplane is called ineffective in secret report

A secret Navy report warns that US aircraft carriers and their planes are unprepared for war with the Soviet Union because of a lack of modern weapons. Defense sources said Tuesday that this could be construed to be a major reason for the loss of an A-6E over Lebanon Dec. 4.

The report said weapons deficiencies make the carrier-based A-6E attack aircraft, which was cited for its good points, ineffective against its primary objective - the Soviet fleet.