Surface to Air Missles in DC now

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Picture of SAM site on link.

http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2005/050308missile.html

The government isn't talking, but the neighbors sure are. And it's all because of a recent — and very unusual — addition to the "front yard" of the Navy's Bethesda, Maryland-based test facility. Located in a very woodsy area of this posh D.C. suburb is a ground-to-air missile battery. Clearly visible to the passing cars on the Clara Barton Parkway is this six-silo launcher stationed on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center's Carderock facility, tucked in-between the famous Beltway and the Potomac River. It's inside the "No-Fly" zone — about 10 miles from the White House — and clearly is intended to protect the center of the nation's capital from anything that might penetrate that airspace.

Lt. Cmdr. Ed Zeigler, public affairs officer for the Naval District of Washington, was recently quoted in the Washington Post as saying that the launcher is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command's Operation Noble Eagle, a program designed to tighten national security since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He says the six non-nuclear missiles in the launcher could "counter an inbound threat."

It isn't known how many other permanent launchers are in the area. Since 9/11, portable missile launchers have occasionally been spotted around the D.C. area, especially when the terrorist threat levels are elevated. Pilots are warned to be extremely vigilant near the Baltimore-D.C.-Capital area and are urged to review the ADIZ procedures at www.aopa.org/adiz/.

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you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[mnealtx 0]

Hate to break this to you, but there's been mobile launchers around for years.....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[LouDiamond 1]

HAHA You beat me to it. Launchers and more than most will ever know.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[mnealtx 0]

Howdy Lou - what, you haven't OD'ed on cheesy poofs, yet?

Yup, only real difference is now they're permanent launchers out in the open....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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HAHA You beat me to it. Launchers and more than most will ever know.

If that is true, why put these out there? Just for the public appearance?

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[AndyMan 7]

I'm reminded of the old GI-Joe cartoons, where there was a surface to air laser mounted in the top of the lincoln memorial...

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[Kris 0]

Making it public puts those that would intend to do harm on notice. Plain and simple.

I think it's a much better deterrant than the camoflauged launchers that are supposedly on the White House roof now since that one guy decided to park his Cessna on the lawn.

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot more in DC than just a 6-silo SAM. There's too many important things in too small an area not to have that kind of protection.

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[mnealtx 0]

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If that is true, why put these out there? Just for the public appearance?

Because a permanent external launcher is faster into action than a portable that has to be removed from storage and set up....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[wzettler 0]

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Making it public puts those that would intend to do harm on notice. Plain and simple.

I'm sorry, but I find that response a little comical. Do you think hijackers have people on the ground that will radio them and say, "No, wait, don't crash that plane in here. They have some surface to air missles now and you'll get shot down." I think if anyone is flying a plane with intent to do harm with it, surface-to-air missles aren't going to deter them to change their minds and fly away. I also think that a terrorist that is determined to do harm in the future won't think twice if he/she is walking around DC and sees SAMs around.

My opinion is that these are put on public display for citizens. I think that the objective is to give the public a psychological effect of "security" and they are being taken care of by the powers that be. Consequently, the media coverage does the same thing.
The military doesn't need to parade anything around in order to be effective in their defense.

I think when Jesus said "love your enemy" he probably meant don't kill them.

[Kris 0]

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Do you think hijackers have people on the ground that will radio them and say, "No, wait, don't crash that plane in here. They have some surface to air missles now and you'll get shot down." I think if anyone is flying a plane with intent to do harm with it, surface-to-air missles aren't going to deter them to change their minds and fly away.

That's only a good argument if they never intend to use them on an airplane in the no fly zone.

Making them public knowledge lets them know that if they were to try that, their chances of success are vastly reduced. Sure, they'll probably find another way to carry out an attack against the populace, but the air is a lot easier to defend than the ground, so why not do it?

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[mr2mk1g 10]

If I were a terrorist I would love the thought of having a plane load of 340 people shot out of the sky by their own side.

I think from a psychological stand point that would almost be as good as hitting a target - sure it would be second to hitting the target, but I figure it would be a pretty good second.

I'd go with them being as much a boost to public moral as a deterant to terrorists - much in the same way as AAA arround london was as much a boost to moral as it was a threat to German bombers.

At the end of the day though such issues only come down to a secondary concern in my opinion. The primary factor is simple utility. These missiles ought to be there - so they are. The messages they send and to whom are of secondary concern.

[funks 1]

I drive by the Pentagon a couple days a week. You should see some of the shit that is setup around that place, and I am just talking about what we can actually see on the side of the road.

[LouDiamond 1]

Make no mistake about it. Those assets are for the protection of the white house/Gov't entities in that area, not the general population. So public opinion, sense of well being is not even a consideration, it is a secondary benefit to the general population.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[SkyDekker 1,150]

exactly, have to make sure Georgie can choke on a pretsell in all safety.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"why put these out there? Just for the public appearance?"

Its the govt reminding the good folks that they are under threat. Its also the govt reminding the good folks that they are being protected.










Actually, they make a lot more sense than Tony Blair putting tanks outside Heathrow.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[flyclearjohn 0]

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Make no mistake about it. Those assets are for the protection of the white house/Gov't entities in that area, not the general population. So public opinion, sense of well being is not even a consideration, it is a secondary benefit to the general population.

Not a consideration? The "clearly visable from the Clara Barton Parkway" is incidental and just happens to be the most strategic placement?

[LouDiamond 1]

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Make no mistake about it. Those assets are for the protection of the white house/Gov't entities in that area, not the general population. So public opinion, sense of well being is not even a consideration, it is a secondary benefit to the general population.

Not a consideration? The "clearly visable from the Clara Barton Parkway" is incidental and just happens to be the most strategic placement?

Do you want somethign dangerous getting clsoe to your sensitve locations if your trying to protect it? Think rings or layers of protection. The object(s) being protected may not be as blatently obvious as one might think.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[wzettler 0]

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So public opinion, sense of well being is not even a consideration...

Well, then here is where our opinions differ. Everything (within the govt/military subject) in the DC area is looked at politically these days. The military cares less about this (if at all) than others, but go high enough and there are polititions that do care about how something is "seen" by the public.... In my experience, how govt decisions are seen publicly is at the forefront of every decision...

I think when Jesus said "love your enemy" he probably meant don't kill them.

[Jimbo 0]

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Think rings or layers of protection.

Defense in depth.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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Do you want somethign dangerous getting clsoe to your sensitve locations if your trying to protect it? Think rings or layers of protection. The object(s) being protected may not be as blatently obvious as one might think.

Like the CIA which is only a few miles from the Navy Surface Weapons facility.

[flyclearjohn 0]

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Make no mistake about it. Those assets are for the protection of the white house/Gov't entities in that area, not the general population. So public opinion, sense of well being is not even a consideration, it is a secondary benefit to the general population.

Not a consideration? The "clearly visable from the Clara Barton Parkway" is incidental and just happens to be the most strategic placement?

Do you want somethign dangerous getting clsoe to your sensitve locations if your trying to protect it? Think rings or layers of protection. The object(s) being protected may not be as blatently obvious as one might think.

Is that a 'Yes'?

[Kennedy 0]

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Is that a 'Yes'?

That's a "there's so much shit to protect in DC that my answer is yes with benefits."

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Anyone know what the range of these things are? What is the decision point, 20 miles out?, 10miles? 5 miles?

Its one thing to shoot down a rogue plane, but where will the debris land?

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[Tonto 1]

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If I were a terrorist I would love the thought of having a plane load of 340 people shot out of the sky by their own side.

With you there. If they could disable comms, fly in and get taken out with the doubt created that the US was shooting down their own civilian aircraft - that would be an effective goal.

People in the US are already scared of something, they're just not sure what. Having them scared of their own side as well? Gotta be a win - win for the bad guys.

t

It's the year of the Pig.