moose135
2007-03-07, 12:50 PM
From:http://www.nbc4.tv/news/11187298/detail.html
Four F-14 Jets Seized From Private Owners
Investigators Say Planes Were Improperly Decommissioned
LOS ANGELES -- Federal agents seized four F-14 fighter jets Tuesday as part of a 17-month investigation into how they were transferred to private owners before they were properly "demilitarized."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, U.S. Department of Defense officials and agents with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) were at Chino Airport Tuesday to seize the jets. Authorities said three of the planes were held by local air museums.
The F-14s were improperly transferred to private parties, according to investigators. The investigation was launched after allegations that the jets were not properly "demilitarized" before the transfers.
Demilitarization regulations require certain parts, such as ejector seats, to be removed before the equipment is transferred to a private party. Two aircraft were located at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino. One plane was at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino. A fourth F-14 was acquired by a production company for the television program "JAG." The plane was stored at a facility in Victorville. Investigators said the jets were retired from active service at the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu, Calif., in the late 1990s.
"The same thing that makes these planes a source of interest for aircraft enthusiasts, their relatively pristine condition, also makes them desirable for those with less innocent motives," said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge for the ICE office of investigations in Los Angeles, in a news release. "The strict regulations governing the transfer of military aircraft are designed to reduce the likelihood that sensitive equipment and technology might fall into the hands of individuals or countries seeking to do us or our allies harm."
The news release said the Navy has new policies and procedures to prevent improperly demilitarized planes from being transferred to private owners. The planes will be partially dismantled and transported to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center in Arizona.
The investigation into the transfer is continuing.
Four F-14 Jets Seized From Private Owners
Investigators Say Planes Were Improperly Decommissioned
LOS ANGELES -- Federal agents seized four F-14 fighter jets Tuesday as part of a 17-month investigation into how they were transferred to private owners before they were properly "demilitarized."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, U.S. Department of Defense officials and agents with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) were at Chino Airport Tuesday to seize the jets. Authorities said three of the planes were held by local air museums.
The F-14s were improperly transferred to private parties, according to investigators. The investigation was launched after allegations that the jets were not properly "demilitarized" before the transfers.
Demilitarization regulations require certain parts, such as ejector seats, to be removed before the equipment is transferred to a private party. Two aircraft were located at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino. One plane was at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino. A fourth F-14 was acquired by a production company for the television program "JAG." The plane was stored at a facility in Victorville. Investigators said the jets were retired from active service at the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu, Calif., in the late 1990s.
"The same thing that makes these planes a source of interest for aircraft enthusiasts, their relatively pristine condition, also makes them desirable for those with less innocent motives," said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge for the ICE office of investigations in Los Angeles, in a news release. "The strict regulations governing the transfer of military aircraft are designed to reduce the likelihood that sensitive equipment and technology might fall into the hands of individuals or countries seeking to do us or our allies harm."
The news release said the Navy has new policies and procedures to prevent improperly demilitarized planes from being transferred to private owners. The planes will be partially dismantled and transported to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center in Arizona.
The investigation into the transfer is continuing.