Just heard this on the radio... El al is going to equip several of its passengerplanes with a missile detection-system + countermessures to distract the incomming missile. Seems some time ago one of their planes was nearly missed by a rocket attack. When these planes are converted, they will be put into service on high-risk routes... Where is the world going to...
Unfortunately civil airliners have been shot down by missiles in the past & once this has been done the risk will always be there. I'm actually surprised that it's taken so long for an airline to introduce some sort of missile detection system on their aircraft.
THE SHOOTING DOWN OF TWO AIR RHODESIA AIRCRAFT IN SEPTEMBER 1978 & FEBRUARY 1979
For many years the Viscounts had operated a service every day from Salisbury to Kariba to Wankie National Park to Victoria Falls and returning to Salisbury by the reverse route. It was on the last leg from Kariba to Salisbury on the 3rd of September 1978 that Air Rhodesia Flight RH825 radioed a Mayday call. The aircraft "The Hunyani" with fifty two passengers and four crew members on board was hit by a heat seeking Sam 7 missile. It had been fired by ZIPRA men ..... terrorists, guerrillas, combatants, comrades, cadres, freedom fighters, soldiers (depending on your viewpoint)
On the 12 Feb. 1979 another Viscount "The Umniati" Air Rhodesia Flight RH827 was shot down not far from the site of the first crash. This time all 59 on board where lost.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/rob_rickards/viscounts/disasters.htmPS. This is a Sam 7 Strela-2 portable missile launcher. I'm told they're readily available to anyone that wants one with no questions asked.
