I knew that there had been attacks against civil aircraft by Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS), I just didn’t know how many., Since the 1970s, over 40 civilian aircraft have been hit by MANPADS, causing about 28 crashes and over 800 deaths around the world. The following list is a sample of reported incidents involving civilian aircraft. All of the incidents listed below, except the Mombasa incident, took place in zones of conflict. These bad boys like the U.S. Stinger and the Russian Strella can attain a speed of about twice the speed of sound and strike aircraft flying at altitudes up to approximately 15,000 feet (4.57 kilometers) at a range of up to 3.2 miles (5 kilometers). MANPADS launch tubes typically range from about 4 feet to 6 1/2 feet (1.2 to 2 meters) in length and are about 3 inches (72 millimeters) in diameter. Their weight, with launcher, ranges from about 28 pounds to just over 55 pounds (13 to 25 kilograms). They are easy to transport and conceal. Some of the most commonly proliferated MANPADS can easily fit into the trunk of an automobile.
These things are all over the place and the threat is so serious early this year the President assigned Special Envoy Bloomfield to lead the interagency task force that is implementing the United States International Aviation Threat Reduction Plan, which is a component of the broader National Strategy for Aviation Security, used to protect global aviation from MANPADS. The Special Envoy engages high-level foreign government officials on U.S. efforts to reduce the worldwide threat from excess, loosely secured, or otherwise at-risk MANPADS. I hope they are successful or the CSI Miami episode were Haratio takes down the shooter as he fires may come true. So next time you fly and see TSA shaking Grandma down and making you take off your shoes, the real threat could be outside the gate in the trunk of a common sedan
· March 12, 1975
A Douglas C-54D-5-DC passenger airliner, operated by Air Vietnam, crashed into inaccessible, hostile Vietnamese territory after being hit by a MANPADS. All six crew members and 20 passengers were killed in the crash.
· September 3, 1978
An Air Rhodesia Vickers 782D Viscount passenger airliner crash landed after being hit by a MANPADS fired by Zimbabwe Peoples Revolution Army rebels. Four crew members and 34 of the 56 passengers were killed in the crash. 10 survivors were shot to death afterwards.
· December 19, 1988
Two Douglas DC-7 spray aircraft, chartered by the U.S. Agency for International Development to eradicate locusts, en route from Senegal to Morocco, were struck by MANPADS fired by POLISARIO rebels in the Western Sahara. One DC-7 crashed killing all 5 crew members. The other DC-7 landed safely in Morocco.
· September 22, 1993
A Tupolev 154B aircraft operated by Transair Georgia was shot down by Abkhazian rebels, crashed onto the runway and caught fire, killing 108.
· April 6, 1994
A Dassault Mystère-Falcon 50 executive jet carrying the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi and its French flight crew was shot down over Kigali, killing all aboard and sparking massive ethnic violence and regional conflict.
· October 10, 1998
A Boeing 727-30 Lignes Aeriennes Congolaises airliner was downed over the Democratic Republic of the Congo jungle by Tutsi rebels, killing 41.
· December 26, 1998
A United Nations-chartered Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport was shot down over Angola by UNITA rebels, killing 14.
· January 2, 1999
A United Nations Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules transport was shot down by UNITA rebels over rebel-held territory in Angola, killing 9.
· November 28, 2002
· Terrorists fired two MANPADS at an Arkia Airlines Boeing 757-3E7 with 271 passengers and crew as it took off from Mombasa, Kenya. Both missiles missed.
· November 22, 2003
A DHL Airbus A300B4-203F cargo jet transporting mail in Iraq was struck and damaged by a MANPADS. Though hit in the left fuel tank, the plane was able to return to the Baghdad airport and land safely.
· March 23, 2007
A Transaviaexport Ilyushin 76TD cargo plane was shot down over Mogadishu, Somalia, killing the entire crew of 11.
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