U.S. Tank-Killing Warplanes Sought

U.S. Defense Secretary William S. Cohen said Jordan is seeking tank-killing A-10 fighter jets to bolster its air force. Cohen, beginning his first visit to the Middle East as Defense secretary, spoke to reporters after meeting Jordan’s Prime Minister Abdul Salam Majali in Amman, the capital. The heavily armored A-10 jets operate mainly on low-flying missions and were used to destroy large numbers of Iraqi tanks in the Persian Gulf War. They are in the process of being phased out of the U.S. Air Force inventory. Cohen did not say if the United States would be able to meet Jordan’s request.