7:31 AM
Shweta Pandey
A ring of ground-to-air missile launchers that will be deployed around London to protect Olympic venues will be unable to locate aircraft in bad weather, experts said yesterday (Monday).
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that six sites, including two residential blocks of flats, were being tested as launch pads for missile systems capable of thwarting airborne attacks.
The Starstreak and Rapier systems, which have a range of around four miles, would be deployed as a "last resort" to shoot down any low-flying aircraft intending a 9/11 style suicide mission at one of the Olympic venues.
But experts have claimed the systems are useless in poor weather as they rely on the operator being able to see the target. Nick Brown, editor-in-chief of Jane's International Defence Review, said: "The missiles are laser-guided, steered onto their target by the soldier keeping his sight on an aircraft.
"So if the soldier can't see an aircraft, they can't hit it. As a result, the missiles can be badly affected by weather and would also not be able to engage targets 'masked' by buildings."
People living close to where the missiles are to be housed have also expressed concern about the dangers of using such weapons in built-up areas.
The systems will be tested in the coming days as part of a military exercise organised to check security preparations, although no test missiles will be fired.
Six sites have been identified as potential locations for the missile launchers, including two in east London; an apartment block overlooking the Olympic stadium in Bow and a 16-storey residential tower block in Walthamstow.
Gen Sir Nick Parker, who is in charge of all military aspects of Olympic security, said the aim was to provide an "effective layered plan that provides a proper deterrent".
Responding to the experts' claims, an MoD source said: "These are laser-guided missile systems and that is why we have chosen high vantage points for the launchers. But also it is important to remember that the missile systems are part of a much wider layered defence system including RAF radar facilities, Typhoon aircraft, Royal Navy Sea King helicopters and other helicopters with snipers, so it is not something we are too concerned about."
Posted in: 
0 comments:
Post a Comment