Missile Threat

Air Safety Week,  Oct 3, 2005  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

Man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, have downed 25 civil aircraft since 1970 and pose a threat to commercial aviation, according to a Sept. 21 fact sheet released by the U.S. Department of State. Herewith, highlights from the eight-page document:

"The United States and other concerned countries have recognized and taken steps to counter the emerging MANPADS threat to the international community. After the November 2002 attempted shoot-down by terrorists of a civilian airliner in Mombasa, Kenya, the United States redoubled its efforts to keep MANPADS from falling into the wrong hands, and is working closely with numerous countries and international organizations to keep the skies safe for all. This cooperation has led to the destruction of over 17,000 excess or illicitly held MANPADS so far. ...

"The number of MANPADS remaining in the global inventory is difficult to estimate with more precision because the destruction of MANPADS systems is not always publicized, and a system's shelf life depends heavily on how it is stored and maintained. ...

"Countering the proliferation of MANPADS is a top national security priority of the United States. ...

"The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the Bureau of Political- Military Affairs manages the United States program to eliminate obsolete MANPADS and to improve the security of MANPADS stockpiles that may fall into the hands of non-state actors, either by assisting countries to better secure their stockpiles or to destroy those MANPADS stocks that are not needed for their defense."

For the full statement, see http://usinfo.state.gov.

[Copyright 2005 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]

COPYRIGHT 2005 Access Intelligence, LLC
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning