Harold Brown dies at 91

Harold Brown, who as defense secretary in the Carter administration championed cutting- edge fighting technology during a tenure that included the failed rescue of hostages in Iran, has died at age 91.

Brown died Friday. His sister, Leila Brennet, said he died at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Brown was a nuclear physicist who led the Pentagon to modernize its defense systems with weap- ons that included precisionguided cruise missiles, stealth aircraft, advanced satellite surveillance and improved communications and intelligence systems. He successfully campaigned to increase the Pentagon budget during his term, despite skepticism inside the White House and from Democrats in Congress.

That turbulent period included the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan and the Iranian hostage crisis.