Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: carranza2 who wrote (49211)	10/3/2002 8:32:08 PM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 281500

Why weren't all airliners outfitted with the devices if the threat was known? Added cost, when no airliner has been shot down by one. If we get hit with an stinger, you can bet we will ground the fleet until they are installed. lindybill@closethebarndoor.com

To: carranza2 who wrote (49211)	10/3/2002 10:14:31 PM
From: Bilow	Respond to of 281500

Hi carranza2; Re: "RPGs are not heat-seeking and have a very limited range." (a) If you hit the cockpit, a fuel cell, or any of a fairly large number of other sensitive areas, you will achieve a "k-kill" on the aircraft. With incapacitated pilots or controls, any jet aircraft will crash. (b) As with any similar terrorist activity, when the pilots start noticing the smoke trails coming towards their buses, the whole aviation industry is going to shut down. (c) Since Mogadishu, it's well known in the military community that RPGs kill helicopters the same way that scissors kill paper, LOL. For example: ... The trail ship was hit by an RPG and went down in flames killing one crewmember and seriously wounding the rest of the crew. ... 187thahc.net Al Qaeda used RPGs in Afghanistan on us: ... At about 6:45 a.m., an RPG exploded under the nose of Hardy’s Apache, sending shrapnel slicing through the helicopter’s innards. ... About 10 minutes after an RPG struck Hardy’s aircraft, another hit the Apache piloted by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Keith Hurley, smashing into the left Hellfire missile launcher. ... pao.hood.army.mil Also see: defenselink.mil tradoc.monroe.army.mil Military aircraft are not susceptible to RPG attack because they're moving too quickly (except when they're on the ground, I suppose). But military helicopters are fairly fast, and commercial jetliners are fairly slow. Suffice it to say that RPGs are known to be effective against a hell of a lot of stuff that Americans use to move around with (or congregate in) besides airliners. As I've said before, terrorism in the US with sophisticated weaponry is the dog that didn't bark, and I don't know why. -- Carl P.S. Friendly fire incident from Gulf war: gulflink.osd.mil

To: carranza2 who wrote (49211)	10/3/2002 11:45:21 PM
From: BCherry168	Respond to of 281500

"RPGs are not heat-seeking and have a very limited range. I doubt that they can do catastrophic damage to a large airliner which is landing or taking off even if the terrorist be lucky enough to actually hit it. It would be a low altitude event most pilots could probably handle" I believe you are misinformed. For instance, it was RPGs that shot down the Blackhawks in Somalia. They can do great damage with a hit. Terrorists practice on using these things because they don't have the missles.