WASHINGTON — The horrifying deaths of 298 passengers of a jetliner shot down over Ukraine have focused the world’s attention on a previously unrecognized threat: the proliferation of surface-to-air missiles in the hands of rogue, non-state actors.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was brought down by a BUK-17, a high-tech Russian-built missile designed to intercept high-speed, high-altitude combat aircraft. But the real threat may lie in the half a million low-tech, short-range antiaircraft missiles widely available worldwide — including those held by some of the world’s most ruthless militants.
These shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles (MANPADS, for man-portable air defense systems) are relatively cheap, …read more
Source: The Huffington Post
