Comments on: Surface-to-air missiles missing from Libya https://habitablezone.com/2011/09/27/surface-to-air-missiles-missing-from-libya/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:41:18 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/09/27/surface-to-air-missiles-missing-from-libya/#comment-6320 TB Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:35:00 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=3927#comment-6320 <a href="http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110927/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_moldova_nuclear_smuggling" rel="nofollow">More along those lines.</a> More along those lines.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/09/27/surface-to-air-missiles-missing-from-libya/#comment-6316 ER Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:19:14 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=3927#comment-6316 It's not a new story. Easily produced weapons of mass destruction, toxins, microbes, compact high explosives and detonators, cheap and instantaneous global communications and transport, it is becoming easier and easier for small, lightly organized groups and even individual fanatics to wage war on great states. Cheap, mass-produced military firearms like the AK-47 have democratized war. Even pimply-faced teenagers can wage cyberwar on great corporations and nations. The same technology that we have celebrated as making it possible to distribute freedom through decentralization and accessibility, is now available to spread chaos. Even benign machines like airliners can be converted to deadly missiles of destruction. If people are willing to die, they can ensure that many others will follow them to horrible death. Even the ultimate weapon, the fission bomb, is not beyond the capability of the lone fanatic. Heat-seeking missiles are the least of our problems, we have computer viruses capable of inflicting more damage than that. And I can't see any way out of this. Its our old friend, Unintended Consequences...she was always lurking in Pandora's Box. It’s not a new story. Easily produced weapons of mass destruction, toxins, microbes, compact high explosives and detonators, cheap and instantaneous global communications and transport, it is becoming easier and easier for small, lightly organized groups and even individual fanatics to wage war on great states. Cheap, mass-produced military firearms like the AK-47 have democratized war. Even pimply-faced teenagers can wage cyberwar on great corporations and nations.

The same technology that we have celebrated as making it possible to distribute freedom through decentralization and accessibility, is now available to spread chaos. Even benign machines like airliners can be converted to deadly missiles of destruction. If people are willing to die, they can ensure that many others will follow them to horrible death.

Even the ultimate weapon, the fission bomb, is not beyond the capability of the lone fanatic. Heat-seeking missiles are the least of our problems, we have computer viruses capable of inflicting more damage than that.

And I can’t see any way out of this. Its our old friend, Unintended Consequences…she was always lurking in Pandora’s Box.

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/09/27/surface-to-air-missiles-missing-from-libya/#comment-6308 TB Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:47:51 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=3927#comment-6308 A million dollars a plane would break a lot of airline companies. I don't know if there are cheaper solutions. I know a lot of work is being done on systems that would be located at or near airports to "blind" missiles. Fixed systems would be cheaper, since you don't have to equip each plane separately. These missiles only work at relatively low altitudes, so a local solution around an airport or on approach and departure paths is workable. Fortunately, multi-engine large jets are less vulnerable to a missile strike in an engine nacelle than a fighter jet would be. Still wouldn't want to be in a plane that got nailed by one, though. A million dollars a plane would break a lot of airline companies. I don’t know if there are cheaper solutions. I know a lot of work is being done on systems that would be located at or near airports to “blind” missiles. Fixed systems would be cheaper, since you don’t have to equip each plane separately. These missiles only work at relatively low altitudes, so a local solution around an airport or on approach and departure paths is workable.

Fortunately, multi-engine large jets are less vulnerable to a missile strike in an engine nacelle than a fighter jet would be. Still wouldn’t want to be in a plane that got nailed by one, though.

]]> By: Eri https://habitablezone.com/2011/09/27/surface-to-air-missiles-missing-from-libya/#comment-6306 Eri Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:41:33 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=3927#comment-6306 Oh crap! What else can one say? I'm glad they're equipping the jets with the protection systems. They really ought to do that for the domestics, too. I know there's less chance of anything happening here but then, who'd a thunk the Twin Towers would get blown up--or rather, down. Oh crap!

What else can one say? I’m glad they’re equipping the jets with the protection systems. They really ought to do that for the domestics, too. I know there’s less chance of anything happening here but then, who’d a thunk the Twin Towers would get blown up–or rather, down.

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