VARIOUS: AS A BRITON IS DUE TO APPEAR IN A US COURT ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO SUPPLY A SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE TO TERRORISTS AN ISRAELI COMPANY SAYS ITS DEVISED A SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE DEFENCE PROGRAMME

Record ID: 646113

  • Title: VARIOUS: AS A BRITON IS DUE TO APPEAR IN A US COURT ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO SUPPLY A SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE TO TERRORISTS AN ISRAELI COMPANY SAYS ITS DEVISED A SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE DEFENCE PROGRAMME
  • Date: 13th August 2003
  • Summary: (W4) AMATEUR VIDEO (RECENT) (AMATEUR VIDEO /CLEARED FOR REUSE & RESALE)) MILITARY PLANE ESCORTING AIRCRAFT TARGETED IN MOMBASSA
  • Embargoed: 28th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TEL AVIV AND HAIFA, ISRAEL/JERUSALEM/LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM/MOMBASSA, KENYA
  • City:
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Crime,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA26P7UF0RGUPD6CW4WQEUUP7GI
  • Story Text: A Briton is due to appear in a US court accused of plotting to supply a surface-to-air missile to terrorists raising questions about safety on commercial airlines. One company in Israel says it has devised a surface-to-air missile defence programme.
    Israel's Rafael Armament Development Authority has devised a defence mechanism for commercial airliners which can identify and divert heat seeking missiles fired at commercial airliners.
    The device was developed 10 years ago but has become more relevant today following the arrest of three people, including one Briton, suspected of smuggling a Russian-made surface-to-air missile into the United States on Tuesday (August 12).
    Officials believe the arrested Briton was planning to sell missiles to would-be terrorists, but he was nabbed in the international sting by the FBI, British and Russian authorities.
    Defence experts in the United States call the Igla a
    "Russian version of the Stinger," referring to the small U.S. shoulder-launched missile designed for attacking aircraft at low altitude -- possibly during take-off or landing.
    They add the Igla is an improved version of earlier Russian-made surface-to-air missiles and would have a better chance of bringing down a passenger jet than its predecessors.
    British 'Terrorism' expert, Charles Shoebridge, says commercial planes are an easy target for the Igla.
    "This weapons system is a military system, it is designed to provide close defence for troops against attacking military aircraft and helicopters and consequently an airliner, something such as Airforce1, as it has been suggested, would be a fairly simple target for this kind of system so long as it was within close proximity to the ground. Certainly helicopters, certainly airliners, taking off or landing at airports when they are vulnerable, would be extremely vulnerable to a system like this," Shoebridge said.
    Rafael say their anti-missile device provides protection under 18,000 feet (6 km), where aircraft are most vulnerable to ground attack. This low altitude flight, rather than the airport, is the danger zone.
    It was initially purchased by the Israeli military, for use on combat helicopters. But following the September 11, 2001 hijacking attacks in the United States, Rafael upgraded and adapted the device for use in civil aviation.
    The Britening system, a modification of the Aero-Jam system used on combat helicopters, is essentially the commercial application of the existing military system.
    Britening is a missile warning system which can detect a threat some 5 kilometres from the aircraft. Once a missile is detected the Britening's jamming system kicks in and diverts the missile.
    British intelligence analyst and 'Airforce 1' expert, Glenmore Trenear Harvey, says commercial airliners are extremely vulnerable in so far as they do not carry any t ype of missile warning or detection system, unlike military planes or the US presidential plane.
    Harvey says it was extremely lucky that noone was killed in last year's attack on an Israeli plane in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombassa when someone fired a missile at a plane as it was taking off.
    In November 2002 two shoulder-launched missiles were fired at the Israeli passenger plane taking off from Mombasa, but did not hit the aircraft.
    Without a missile detect and destroy device aboard the plane, commercial airlines simply cannot defend themselves against terror attacks.
    "For a commercial aircraft, flying with the heat coming away from its engines, they don't know that its happening.
    The Israeli plane in Mombassa that was so lucky, it zoomed by a 100 metres away. What happens with Airforce One: they have every conceivable counter measure," says Trenear Harvey.
    Rafael's Sensing and Active Protection Systems Director, Dr. Patrick Bar-Avi, explained last April how the defence system works.
    The device comes in two versions, one designed for smaller aircraft such as the Boeing 757-300 and boasting omni-directional detection capabilities. On larger aircraft such as the Boeing 747, a dual system is use with detectors mounted fore and aft.
    It is designed to handle simultaneous missile attacks, an innovation that came on the heels of the Mombassa attack in which two missiles were fired. It functions independently of the flight crew and does not emit radiation.
    "Missile locked on the target, you can see the target clearly here on the aircraft, again, same Strellar (type of missile) and in a certain instance, the jamming system is turned on and the missile breaks lock, again this missile is not going to hit its target," Bar Avi said.
    An associate at the British Centre for Defence Studies at London's Kings College, Martin Navias, says one of the main problems with the type of missiles the US authorities intercepted on Tuesday is that they are extremely easy to get hold of and that there are plenty of people who could train potential attackers in how to use them.
    "Al Qaeda and the Taliban, when they were in their manifestation of Mujahideen, fighting the Russians in Afghanistan were provided by Americans with over 900 stinger missiles which is the American variant of this Russian missile that appeared in the United States yesterday (12/8/2003). the Mujahideen in Afghanistan developed an enormous experience in the use of these weapons bringing down 250 Russian aircraft, fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, and after the war, they retained over 200 of these missiles despite American attempts to buy them back," Navias said.
    The Mombasa attackers narrowly missed their target. Had they succeeded 160 passengers would have died. The incident, coupled with Tuesday's sting operation, demonstrates how easy it is for those who want to inflict maximum damage to smuggle, access and operate lethal weapons which will cause massive destruction.
    It has prompted New York Senator Charles Schumer to argue that the U.S. Homeland Security Department should speed up its two-year plan to develop a missile defence prototype for commercial airplanes.
    Rafael says it has the answer.
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