Thousands of missing shoulder-lauched missiles
 

"British military personnel are training foreign governments on how to prevent terrorists shooting down airliners with shoulder-launched missiles looted from Col Muammar Gaddafi’s stockpiles.
Thousands of hand-held, ground-to-air missile launchers were seized by militiamen as they captured regime bases during the Libyan revolution in 2011.
The missiles have since turned up in warzones and failed states across Africa and the Middle East and have been described as an unprecedented menace to air traffic."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/thousands-of-libyan-missiles-from-qaddafi-era-missing-in-action/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/11749977/RAF-aims-to-stop-menace-of-terrorist-missile-strikes-on-airliners.html

These missiles could be anywhere in the world where there is a terrorist threat and where border controls are lax. "You have stockpiles and availability of these weapons in an environment where a terrorist can readily get access to them... It's a serious concern."

Compared to the other mitigating measures to combat the current threats to aviation safety (such as: the 2-persons-in-the-cockpit recommendation; psychological evaluation of pilots; SMS; risk based regulations; volcanic ash detection; etc.), the mitigating measures to this significant threat do not seem to be adequate, as they seem to be focussed on stopping the weapons being smuggled on-board.

There seems to be no mention of the threat during take-off and landing…..

Every terrorist and separist group I've ever seen tv footage of in Africa and the ME over the years has had plenty of these things on show already.

Do these things have a 'best before' or 'use before' date? Or are they like an AK - will last forever without the least care.

The Stinger guidance/launch unit has a battery with limited shelf life, but there are many other models around.

So all these things have been missing since 2011. How many aircraft have been shot down by terrorists so far with them?

None, that I've heard of.

Non-story.

Just remember it is a "non-story" till it is a "story"!!!

They are out there and it should concern all of us.

It has happened before:
 

Not with one 'missing since 2011' but.....

ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A300B4-203F OO-DLL Baghdad International Airport (SDA)

Nor forgetting Mombassa Airport in Nov 2002...that was very close to being very ugly...in that case SA-7 vs 757

https://www.newscientist.com/article...tack-airliner/

Didn't El Al fit their aircraft with flares as a result of this?

Not certain about this but I believe El Al has had anti-missile technology fitted to their aircraft long before 2002.

Don't forget the two Air Rhodesia Viscounts in 1978/9. This was the first use against civilian aircraft.

ELAL are rumoured to fly anti missile approaches and departures but obviously aren't going to comment on this.

And their pilots have special training to use them.

Yes, Moneytennis, that's the spirit! Hear no evil, see no evil! As a matter of fact, don't even engage your brain. After all, a 9-11 style attack didn't happen before either, so why bother thinking outside the box, right? :D

p.s. always make sure you're stable at 500 feet so that they can take a proper shot at you! :ok:

Yes, remember seeing some kind of anti-missile system installed in the pylon above the rear of each engine on El Al 707s in the late 70s or early 80s.

RPG's are more of a threat than AA missiles, as they are easier to use, less expensive and more readily available. They might have a very short range in vertical terms, but not many airports have the type of armed security around their perimeter fence to prevent their use.

Combined IR and radar homing jammers are too expensive to fit to most airliners and only El Al have them at present.

RPGs are unguided. The odds of an RPG accurately hitting a commercial aircraft at speed (in flight) is very, very low even at relatively close range. They are more of a threat for helicopters.

Shoulder-fired guided missile systems (MANPADS) like Stingers and SA-7s can be deadly at short ranges. According to the US State Department, since the 1970s MANPADS have hit at least 40 civilian aircraft, causing over 800 deaths.