I see that the ‘missile expert’ journalist Brian Whelan is still whinging!

London 2012: Legal bid over Olympics flats missile plan

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17908640

John Green wrote

Thanks for the corrections.

No problem.

John Green wrote

Knowing full well that the pressing of the button would unleash irrevocable destruction of the aircraft and three or four hundred lives not only on the aircraft but almost certainly on the ground of the city over which they would be flying? I, certainly, would never wish to be placed in that situation.

The situation is a reality and it is practised with all elements of the command and control system. A tough decision for all involved but the aim is to deny the terrorists a high profile target and unfortunately tough choices have to be made.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10750260

It is a case of damned if you do or damned if you don’t. The chances of it happening are slim, but I would rather have this layered system in place and utilise all available systems. Put yourself in the shoes of the military team that have planned this layered system? Their aim is to afford protection to a high value target and to sight missiles accordingly. No harm in thinking outside that box and doing the planning and deployment as effectively as possible.

John Green wrote

I’ve just read that the missiles to be installed can’t be used in poor visibility. As Littlejohn says: “You couldn’t make it up”

So, the message to all revolutionaries, hi-jackers and the plain disaffected, is to await an optimistic Met Office forecast for London weather thus knowing that the opposite will occur and then light the firework.

There was a reason why the hi-jackers on 9/11 chose a perfect day for their attack. If the hi-jackers can’t visually see the target then how can they effectively find it and hope to fly into it?

The system in the MoD leaflet for the tower at the flats has the Starstreak system highlighted for potential deployment. Starstreak is a line of sight beam riding weapon as stipulated on the British Army website.

http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/artillery-air-defence/1509.aspx

See ‘Description’ and ‘Disadvantages’. I expect that the press have jumped on the wikipedia Starstreak entry and gone for the attention grabbing ‘poor visibility’ snippet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starstreak_(missile)

Battlefield obscurants such as smoke can degrade the ability of the missile operator to see the target, and could potentially interfere with the guidance laser.

All such man-portable air defence systems have their limitations. Just the same as if, for example, an infra-red homing system was deployed on the tower.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9K38_Igla

The military planners are going for a layered system and have included the Starstreak as a last line of defence. Again put yourself in the shoes of those professionals tasked to implement the plan? Yes obviously the main plan is to intercept with Typhoons and helicopters, but what is the harm in deploying a point defence system as a back-up?

You claim ‘Heath Robinson’ but would you come to the same decision if you actually sat down and discussed it at planning level with those professionals tasked with the job? Are you qualified to question those military professionals on the planning team?

What are the marking(s) on the side of the intakes?

http://www.key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=5080&thisSection=military

The scrolls have details of Rafale kills! :diablo: Seriously they look like scrolls for Battle Honours. See Squadron Standard.

http://www.3fsquadronassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/3FA-Standard-1.png

http://www.3fsquadronassociation.com/about-us/battle-honours/

Top Gun – North Korean style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nKuoNhihh4

Re 46

Some years ago when the Cold War was at its height and the USSR was heavily and effectively armed including the city of Moscow being ringed with anti aircraft missile systems, a young German (that made the incursion worse!) civilian pilot took off from West Germany in a light aircraft, flew it all the way through Warsaw Pact countries and into Russia without being detected and landed triumphantly in Red Square.

Mathias Rust was intercepted but nobody would make the decision to either force or shoot him down. Command and control went out the window that day! His flight path was also not through Warsaw Pact countries, for example East Germany, Poland etc, but through Soviet airspace over the Baltic States.

Mathias Rust interview recounting the intercept.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aerA5oLif3k

Further details on the following webpage. There are 8 pages.

http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/rust.html

STORMBIRD262,

Did you take the time to read the whole of this thread plus the comments on the video before making your statement? It has already been posted in the last few pages on this thread.

From the You Tube videos

The Egyptian government have been informed by the military. The army took only ammunition of the airplane to not hit the wrong hands. At the moment the plane is in the same state as in the movie. there is practically no possibility of the devastation of this plane because it is army complex – patrolled by the army.
The plane was found incidentally – do not do the explorations..
in mid-April, I’ll try to go to the place where the plane – it will put more videos.

Watch out for them on e-bay!

The Nigerian Air Force is auctioning the following aircraft:

25 units – MiG 21 – Makurdi Airforce base, Nigeria
16 units – Jaguar 16 – Makurdi Airforce base, Nigeria
9 units – Mi34 – Enugu Airport, Nigeria
3 units – Bolkow 105 – Port Harcourt Airforce base, Nigeria
1 unit – Fokker F-27 – Benin Airport, Nigeria
3 units – C130 – Lagos Airport, Nigeria
13 units – Bulldog* – Kaduna Airforce base, Nigeria

http://www.globalplanesearch.com/gpsads/ads/ad_mig-21.htm#pic3