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Equipping the U.S. Army's 2,500 helicopters with defenses against shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles (like the SAM-7 or Stinger), would cost $5-7 billion and take up to a year, or more. A typical system has two components. First, there are four ultraviolet detection sensors (weighing about four pounds each) mounted on different parts of the helicopter to detect an approaching missile. These sensor are linked to an eleven pound computer that contains software for determining that the object is indeed a missile and where it is headed. The detection computer is hooked to a countermeasures system using either flares and chaff...

Jan 17, 8:14 PM (ET) NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iraqi guerrillas are using increasingly sophisticated weapons and tactics to attack U.S. aircraft, according to a classified Army study on the downing of helicopters in Iraq, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions. Citing senior Army officials in Iraq and the Gulf who were familiar with the study, the newspaper reported that at least one advanced missile was used by insurgents. Rebels have used rocket-propelled grenades and heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles, the latter which require a degree of skill, in the attacks. Scores of U.S. servicemen have died in recent months...

The United States won agreement from Asian and Pacific Rim governments to sharply restrict the use and transfer of shoulder-fired missiles that could be used terrorist groups to shoot down passenger planes. Meeting with Asian foreign ministers, Secretary of State Powell called for joint action to control trade in the American-made Stinger, Russian "Strela" and "Igla" MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems). These are shoulder fired missiles that weight under 30 pounds. The United States government had previously resisted formal international restrictions on the transfer of shoulder-fired missiles. The regional press is already misinterpreting the initiative as a "ban on purchasing"....

The head of the international security force (Isaf) in Afghanistan has said American-made Stinger missiles and rockets are being offered to them for sale. After almost each incident we have been receiving proposals to buy some rockets or missiles... General Akin Zorlu, Isaf Commander General Akin Zorlu said his troops had been offered Stinger missiles for $200,000 and rockets for $5,000 to $10,000. He said he believed a recent surge in rocket attacks on Kabul could be a tactic by the dealers trying to put pressure on the international peace keepers to buy up the weapons. General Zorlu who heads...

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania agreed to buy 60 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles from the United States, some of which will be deployed to protect the ex-Soviet republic's sole nuclear plant in case of an attack, officials said Thursday. The sophisticated, hand-held weapons will be the first of their kind sold to the Baltic states, which include Estonia and Latvia. All three former Soviet republics expect to win invitations to join NATO at an alliance summit next week in Prague. The $31 million deal was signed by Lithuania's Defense Minister Linas Linkevicius and U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania John Tefft on Wednesday...

Hong Kong plays down terror threat after al-Qaeda missile plot Wednesday, 06-Nov-2002 1:50AM      Story from AFP Copyright 2002 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet) </CLARI-ITEM HEADER>HONG KONG, Nov 6 (AFP) - Hong Kong on Wednesday played down the threat of terrorist attacks in the territory after three men appeared in court accused of trying to buy Stinger missiles for the al-Qaeda network."There is no known terrorist infrastructure or support base in Hong Kong," a spokesman for the security bureau said in a statement."The risk of Hong Kong becoming a target of terrorist attacks is low."However, the spokesman declined to comment...

05 Nov 2002 11:52Three held in HK for alleged al Qaeda missile deal HONG KONG, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Three men have been arrested in Hong Kong over an alleged attempt to buy four Stinger anti-aircraft missiles for al Qaeda from undercover U.S. FBI officers, the Hong Kong government said on Tuesday. The three, two Pakistanis and a U.S. citizen of Indian origin, appeared in a Hong Kong court on Tuesday to fight an extradition request from the United States. They were arrested on September 20 for trying to sell 600 kg of heroin and five tonnes of hashish to fund the...

VILNIUS -- NATO aspirant Lithuania has decided to purchase anti-aircraft missile 'Stinger' systems from the United States, a top military officials said Tuesday. "We have made a decision to buy Stingers for our military forces, but all the details still have to be set out," Lithuania's Defense Minister Linas Linkevcius told AFP. He refused to comment on the number of Stinger systems to be bought or the cost of the contract. "I can only say that we have chosen the system, which we needed and which opens the gates for training under NATO standards," added Linkevicius. The minister also refused...

Series of EmergencyNet News Reports Concerning the Threat of Usage of Shoulder-fired Anti-aircraft Missiles: 31 May 2002 to 01 June 2002 From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-ERRI Risk Assessment Services-Saturday, June 1, 2002-Vol. 8 - 152U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATIONS:U.S. Forces Capture Cache Of Portable Missiles In AfghanistanAFGHANISTAN: The Washington Times was reporting on Saturday that U.S. military forces in Afghanistan confiscated a cache of 30 anti-aircraft missiles as a new general took control of the U.S.- led campaign there. A Pentagon official said that the missiles were described as a Chinese-made version of the SA-7 surface-to-air missile. Disclosure of the missile...

News reports say that al-Qaeda terrorists may have smuggled shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles into the United States. We give you the full rundown on what these weapons can do, how they work, where they may come from, and how they might be used. It's all here for you, on Winds of Change!