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GOP senator wants missile shields for airplanes
thehill.com ^ | July 18, 2014 | Keith Laing

Posted on 07/18/2014 12:22:55 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is calling for commercial airplanes to be equipped with missile defense systems after a Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday.

Kirk said Friday in an interview with CNN that the missile defense system would prevent a repeat of Thursday's crash, which killed the 298 passengers aboard the flight.

"I would have another suggestion that there is a system called DIRCM, which could potentially defeat heat-seeking missiles looking to shoot down a civilian airliner," Kirk said after calling for "one hell of a wrongful death suit" to be filed against Russia.

"It is an active defense system," Kirk continued. "DIRCM cost about $2 million each to blind a heat-seeking missile that is coming at you."

U.S. and Ukraine officials have said believe the flight was shot down by Russian separatists who have been battling Kiev in a dispute over the country's shared border with Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Ukraine bears responsibility for shooting down the jetliner because the incident occured in the latter country's airspace.

Kirk said Friday that the evidence thus far points to Russia as being the culprit. "It does appears the Buk missile system is so complicated that it would need a back-up from a nation state, like Russia," he said. "That would mean that Russian armed forces are directly involved in this wrongful death of roughly 300 people."

Only one of the nearly 300 passengers who were on board the downed plane have been found to be a U.S. citizen thus far, but Kirk said he still hoped the Department of Justice would get involved in the investigation of the incident.

"I want to hear that the Department of Justice will bring one hell of a wrongful death suit against Russian assets that are located in the United States to make sure there is a significant cost paid by Russia for this action of shooting down an international airliner with a weapons system that is directly related to the Russian forces," he said.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: illinois; mh17
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1 posted on 07/18/2014 12:22:55 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tailgunner Joe
DIRCM cost about $2 million each...

Ummmm.... No. Hell no.

Just don't fly over war zones.

2 posted on 07/18/2014 12:25:40 PM PDT by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Effectively militarizes us as a nation and a community with a border running thru it.

I know he has had issues, but really.


3 posted on 07/18/2014 12:26:37 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Yeah. Sure. Why not pay for it with a $1000 surcharge on every airline ticket sold?


4 posted on 07/18/2014 12:26:41 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Every damn thing that happens, they just cannot control themselves from thinking of themselves as the saviors.


5 posted on 07/18/2014 12:27:31 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Stupid fool thinks there’s an easy answer to everything. Here’s actually an easy answer: Don’t fly over war zones. If you do, don’t expect that a defense against a short-range heat seeking guidance system will be very useful against a radar guided missile.


6 posted on 07/18/2014 12:27:39 PM PDT by steve86 ( Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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We need large bird radar detectors more than we do chaff and flares... And a good meal.


7 posted on 07/18/2014 12:27:42 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Yeah ... put IR defenses on aircraft, so they won’t get shot down with RADAR guided missiles.

That sure makes sense.


8 posted on 07/18/2014 12:27:46 PM PDT by NorthMountain
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To: Tailgunner Joe

I propose the installation of a cone-of-silence over every politicians head in the immediate aftermath of any big media event.


9 posted on 07/18/2014 12:27:57 PM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

I have no problems making such defensive armaments available to civilian aircraft. However, no government program should require them or subsidize them. If a private aviation commercial enterprise desires such products and can still market the seats in the marketplace, more power to them.

But the invisible hand of the market should determine the value of such systems. Not some government bureaucrat.


10 posted on 07/18/2014 12:29:38 PM PDT by taxcontrol
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To: Tailgunner Joe

And this going to cost how much?

Thank God for the gop. Where else would the crony capitalists find such stellar allies?


11 posted on 07/18/2014 12:29:47 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat (Be a part of the American freedom migration: freestateproject.org)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

We could bring back a B17 arrangement of gunners and have willing and capable passengers rotate if offered greatly reduced fares.


12 posted on 07/18/2014 12:29:58 PM PDT by wally_bert (There are no winners in a game of losers. I'm Tommy Joyce, welcome to the Oriental Lounge.q)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Who’s dropping money in his pocket? Boeing? GoOGle?

It’s only a matter of time.. Corporations should stay out of politics.

Politicians should stay out of blind business relationships.


13 posted on 07/18/2014 12:30:23 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Is he out of his mind? Talk about requiring safety without regard to cost or probability.


14 posted on 07/18/2014 12:33:24 PM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Why do these people always legislate for the anomalies?


15 posted on 07/18/2014 12:35:10 PM PDT by Chasaway (Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

What an idiot. It wasn’t a heat-seeker that brought down the plane, but a sophisticated radar-guided SAM.


16 posted on 07/18/2014 12:35:13 PM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: C210N
Just don't fly over war zones.

Well that's just crazy talk. /s
17 posted on 07/18/2014 12:35:43 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin.)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

These people can’t think of enough ways to f&^% up taxpayer money!


18 posted on 07/18/2014 12:36:22 PM PDT by SMARTY ("When you blame others, you give up your power to change." Robert Anthony)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

What a nitwit.


19 posted on 07/18/2014 12:36:36 PM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: taxcontrol

If the government is hiding "Shields" technology along with the alien UFO's I think it should be released to the private sector to help [protect our places, heck shields could help protect planes against birds.

20 posted on 07/18/2014 12:37:02 PM PDT by GraceG (No, My Initials are not A.B.)
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