A Flock Of Stealths

By DAVID ELLIS/

Is the Pentagon already flying new variations on the Stealth series of radar- fooling aircraft? Military aficionados think they've spotted at least two new planes near U.S. testing bases. One version is believed to be a prototype of the A-12, a successor to the Navy's A-6 attack plane, which is expected to cost some $60 million apiece. The plane has no vertical tail surface, giving it the appearance of a manta ray, according to one witness. Little is known about a separate aircraft being tested in northern California, which spotters say appears to be a successor to the F-117A fighter but is powered by a quieter engine. The Air Force developed the F-117A Stealth jet in complete secrecy and had 56 of them flying before their existence was publicly announced.

With reporting by DANIEL S. LEVY