Surface to Air Missiles

SAMS (Surface to Air Missiles)

Sunday, February 11, 2007

This is OPORD Analytical’s first video analysis. More videos will be posted over time if our bandwidth allocation permits it.

Recently the media has posted a partial clip of a video claiming that it was the downing of a US CH-47 class Chinook helicopter. The partial video clip that the media was broadcasting was followed by claims that it was “undetermined” what brought the helicopter down, but “some type” of enemy fire had converged on the helicopter to shoot it down.

On September 11^th, 2001, after the first hijacked civilian passenger aircraft struck the WTC, a news anchor said that someone needed to “call the airport to tell them their planes were off-course.” Shortly afterwards, another plane crashed into the second tower, and the same news anchors debated for a long period of time how air traffic controllers could steer those aircraft into Manhattan knowing there were very tall buildings in New York City.

Having watched that moment on television as the al Qai’da attack unfolded, I could only shake my head with incredulity at how unsuspecting western populations do not know what terrorism is, even to this day.

The CH-47 helicopter that was shot down was done so with a SAM (surface to air missile) fired by a MANPAD (Man Portable Air Defense Missile System).

Below is the actual video of the attack by the Islamic Army of Iraq terrorist organization. The surface to air missile was fired on the right of the individual filming the attack because you can clearly see the trail of grey smoke leading up into the air which is followed by the impact on the helicopter. The grey smoke trail is indicative of a Russian MANPAD, probably a SA-7 through 29 series because the system itself is not shown.

The point that must be made is that this changes the security environment precariously in Iraq, and also presents the possibility that such weapons will filter down to other terrorist organizations to be used against western civilian passenger aircraft. Western countries should make every effort to contain the exporting to and importing of these weapons by Iraqi terrorist organizations.

The video of the Islamic Army of Iraq using a MANPAD is a very grave threat to aircraft security world-wide and those responsible for supplying these weapons to terrorists must be located and held responsible.

Christopher Farmer

MS, National Security

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