Britain buys Russian surface-to-air missiles in fight against terrorism

Telegraph | UK ^ | 13/12/2005) | Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent

[Buddy B]

Britain buys Russian surface-to-air missiles in fight against terrorism

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent (Filed: 13/12/2005)

Britain has secretly bought dozens of sophisticated Russian surface-to-air missiles, some of which are believed to have fallen into terrorist hands, to develop counter measures against them.

There are significant fears that the weapon, which can be packed into a golf bag and assembled and fired very rapidly by one person with minimal training, will be targeted at civil and military aircraft.

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But there are worries that in Iraq the missile has already fallen into the hands of insurgents who could use it to devastating effect against British or American transport planes carrying hundreds of troops.

[Buddy B]

May require sign-up?

[demlosers]

This is the pic in the article. It looks like an unsophisticated SA-7 Grail to me:

Earlier versions of the SAM were responsible for destroying at least eight American and British aircraft in the 1991 Gulf war, an American F16 in Kosovo in 1999 and a Russian Mi-26 helicopter, killing 121 troops it was carrying in Chechnya in 2002.

The SAM that brought down Scott O'grady, I believe, was a SA-6

[demlosers]

SA-6 Gainful on display at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

[USNBandit]

O'Grady was hit by an SA-6 which wouldn't even fit in Rodney Dangerfield's golf bag.

[truemiester]

True and true.

[American in Israel]

Gee Mr Customs Agent, I have no idea how that tank got in my purse...