The AIM-54C Phoenix air-to-air missile has become a symbol for both critics and supporters of the Pentagon's penchant for high-tech weaponry: at $950,000 a shot, it is designed to be launched from the Navy's supersophisticated F-14 fighter jets and to home in on enemy planes using computer-guided radar when it works. Last week the Navy, which budgeted $388.7 million for the missiles this fiscal year, publicly complained about the quality of the product. It told Hughes Aircraft Co. it would no longer accept shipments because of "marginal workmanship." Said one Navy officer: "It's quality control throughout the missile. When...
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