MANPAD Terror

[dell30rb]

Yikes!

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/nightmare-libya-20000-surface-air-missiles-missing/story?id=14610199


It seems up to 20,000 SAM's are missing from Libyan stockpiles. Some of them are easily capable of taking down an airliner... even at altitude?? Of course these will very likely end up in the hands of terrorists. Really bad scenario.

Maybe this is why we have seen MANPADS come up recently?

 

[AdamZ]

Gives ya the warm fuzzies don't it?

 

[Bob Noel]

What's the shelf life of the "missing" SAMs?

 

[sba55]

Oh how terrible! There's just no way that the terrorists didn't already have access to more than enough of these. Obviously, it would be nice if these hadn't gone missing, but it hardly makes a difference.

 

[zaitcev]

What's the shelf life of the "missing" SAMs?

Russian MANPADs expire quickly, because of the batteries. They may be refurbished, but to date it has not happened. Their maximum altitude is something like 3 to 5 km. Older ones were not particularly deadly against avialiners, as demonstrated by the hit on the DHL Airbus on departure from Baghdad -- the flight landed safely despite the damage. Newer ones may be more problematic.

Russian large caliber SAMs, such as ubiqutoius S-75, reach pretty high, and they kick hard. It was S-75 that downed Gary Powers. When Ukrainian S-125 downed a Russian airliner full of Israelis, it was not a direct hit. They may be kept in service for decades, provided that a state actor bankrolls them. They are not small. I would say, if a crazy tinpot dictator hid those in a modified shipping container... that would be a problem. But it's not what the article is talking about.

I would be most concerned about Western vehicle-sized SAMs. Those can be hidden easily. But Strela, eh. The numbers in Lybia are worrysome though. Even an Airbus would not like being hit with a few of them, and if we really talk about 20,000, that's a lot.

 

[wsuffa]

Quick! The TSA will now start asking the question "Can I look in your pants to see if you have a MAN PAD in there?"

 

[RyanShort1]

It's probably OK. They probably took them to New York.

 

[sba55]

According to the FAA, "MANPADS information will be disseminated via the ATIS". That would be quite the surprise!

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/atc/atc1002.html

 

[ScottM]

Exercise extreme caution. MANPADS threat reported by TSA

You just knew they would go after our MANPADS next!!

 

[denverpilot]

Maybe thos can be an all new reason to use that phraseology, "Departing from the runway will be at your own risk."

 

[wsuffa]

Exercise extreme caution. MANPADS threat reported by TSA

You just knew they would go after our MANPADS next!!

Sure that's not "Man Pads"?

 

[ScottM]

Sure that's not "Man Pads"?

Tomato, tomahto

 

[dennyleeb]

At least we got Obama watching out for us. If he is half as good at fixing this as he has been with the economy I have no worries.

 

[Bob Noel]

At least we got Obama watching out for us. If he is half as good at fixing this as he has been with the economy I have no worries.

must resist the straight line....