The US spy plane which caused a diplomatic standoff between the United States and China arrived on Thursday at a Georgia air base where it will be inspected to see if it can be reassembled and returned to service.

A Russian Antonov cargo plane carrying the fuselage and other parts of the US$80 million EP-3, which had been held on China's Hainan Island since April 1, touched down at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, about 20 miles north of Atlanta.

The plane's return removed an impediment to improving US-China relations.

The plane's components will be placed in storage at a Lockheed Martin Corp. facility adjacent to the Dobbins base.

Rob Koon, a spokesman for Naval Air Systems Command, said the Navy intended to repair the plane and return it to service, but a final decision would be taken after a close inspection.

"Now that we actually have it in the hangar, we have a chance to really go in and look it over and evaluate, 'Can it be done?'," Koon said.

Koon said technicians would examine the EP-3 "from top to bottom, front to back to see if there is any unknown damage that may have occurred." He added that if the plane was reassembled, it would receive new wings and a new tail section from a donor aircraft.

Lockheed, the manufacturer of the spy plane, said it is finalizing contract negotiations to get the plane back in the air. "We're fairly confident that the plane is salvageable," said Greg Caires, a Lockheed spokesman.

PLANNED ELECTRONICS UPGRADE

The Naval Air Systems Command has estimated structural repairs would take eight to 12 months. After that, the plane will be flown to Waco, Texas, for an electronic systems upgrade.

The damaged EP-3 had been on Hainan Island since it made an landing after a collision with a Chinese fighter jet. None of the US crew was injured but the Chinese pilot was killed.

China sent back the crew members only after necessary investigation.

The United States had originally intended to repair the plane and fly it out, but China said allowing the plane to fly off Hainan would be a national humiliation. Beijing eventually agreed to let the plane be dismantled and flown out.

(Chinadaily.com.cn 07/06/2001)