It demanded new assurances that the radar-evading plane will perform as advertised and ordered the Pentagon to study the possibility of cutting the proposed fleet.

Thus far, the Pentagon has not identified any specific uses it would make of the space station but has been studying the possibilities.

The Pentagon is studying bases in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, but no decisions have been made, officials said.

The legislation would also require the Pentagon to study the feasibility of moving its Southern Command out of Panama.

In reality, the Pentagon is studying other options for modernizing the aerial tanker fleet for the Air Force.

More than four years ago, Congress ordered the Pentagon to study how on-base slot machines were affecting military families.

Mr. Cohen and other officials said the Pentagon would study the planes and even use them in training exercises, though not fly them in combat.

A spokesman for the Navy said the Pentagon was studying Judge Ryan's order and would have no further comment.

Fortunately, even before this conflict, the Pentagon had studied the modernization needs of the Lebanese military.

The Pentagon is also studying an 'overlay' system, in which non-nuclear missiles would destroy warheads or missiles in space en route to their target.