Hamas couldn't fire smuggled Stingers against Israelis due to embedded ID system
GAZA CITY — The Hamas regime acquired U.S.-origin air defense systems but was unable to use them in combat.
Hamas sources said the Islamic military has acquired the Stinger
man-portable air defense system. The sources said the Stingers were acquired
from smugglers in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula in 2008 and deployed in the 22-day
war against Israel in January 2009.
"We were disappointed by them, and they were found to have been
useless," a Hamas source said.
The source said Hamas smuggled four Stinger systems in 2008. The source
said the Hamas military deployed the Stingers against Israel Air Force AH-64
Apache attack helicopters during strike missions in the northern Gaza Strip.
"Our gunners couldn't fire the weapon," the source recalled. "A notice
came up on the display saying 'friendly aircraft.'"
Industry sources said Raytheon, producer of Stinger, installed
identification friend/foe capabilities more than a decade ago. The sources
said this would prevent Stinger from being fired against any aircraft used
by the U.S. military.
Another Hamas source said gunners deployed Stinger along with heavy
machine guns in attacks on Israeli helicopters during the war in the Gaza
Strip. The source said one Stinger surface-to-air missile was launched, but
the projectile veered off course and struck a Hamas gunner squad.
"The Stinger was drawn by the heat of our guns rather than the engines
of the Israeli helicopters," the source said. "At that point, we stopped using this
weapon."
The sources said Hamas has abandoned plans to acquire additional
Stingers. Instead, the Islamic army has been ordering the Russian-origin
SA-16, or Igla-1, surface-to-air missile system, with a range of five
kilometers.
Comments
It's ironic that Raytheon can make these missiles identify friendly or enemy aircraft, but these missiles are a threat to civilian airliners.
It's also strange that Hamas is supposed to be supported by Iran, going through Egypt, but with U.S. missiles??? These missiles were less than ten years old. Where did they get them?
Mike
8:50 a.m. / Monday, April 13, 2009
This is how Hamas spends its "aid" money.
Joel B.
1:15 p.m. / Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Comments
This is so funny. There is a God and He is on the side of his people Israel.
