Missles deployed around Washington DC

[SpeedBug]

Per CNN and MSNBC


As part of an "exercise" anti-aircraft missle batteries are now deployed on jeeps around Washington including the Pentagon. The "exercise" will envolve 300 troops and last for a few days.

MSNBC said Rummy ordered the missiles around DC.

 

[SpeedBug]

Air defense systems deployed around D.C.
Pentagon says it is an exercise

September 9, 2002 Posted: 5:41 PM EDT (2141 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military has deployed ground-based air defenses around Washington for the next few days in an exercise described "as a prudent" measure.

Pentagon officials said this week's exercise had been planned for several weeks and was not in response to any specific threat.

The exercise, dubbed "Clear Skies," involves about 300 people and augments the 24-hour air patrols over Washington with portable ground defenses.

The defenses include Sentinel radar, Avenger air defense systems, and hand-held Stinger missiles set up at various military installations in the area, including the Pentagon.

The Avenger is a portable short-range air defense system mounted on a Humvee vehicle that is capable of firing eight Stinger missiles in rapid succession.

Officials said the exercise would involve some live weapons, with tight restrictions to guard against accident firings.

An Avenger missile system observed at the Pentagon did not appear to have any Stinger missiles in its launchers.

The exercise involves units from NORAD, the Air Force, the Navy, the Army, the Customs Service, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Secret Service.

 

[sabreliner]

Well boys and girls, don't screw up the River Visual or forget to turn on the departure!!

 

[jetexas]

When they give you your clearance and it includes "P56 avoidance procedures", please look that one up if you haven't done it before! Sounds like these boys mean business, as they should.

 

[Ty Webb]

If that clown Magaw had gotten behind the initiative to arm pilots from the beginning, they wouldn't have had to screw around with missiles, overflights, etc.

Unfortunately, some politicians couldn't seem to grasp that a simple, econonmical solution was readily available.

 

[rumpletumbler]

If that is true then it might give some sense of security to those on the ground there and that is good. My town didn't get attacked last year so I don't know what that feels like. I'll bet it is hard to get over and more power to them if they want to beef up security in those areas.

RT

 

[tarp]

Wow!

Got to hand it to the gov-er-ment on this one! Missles around DC, LGA and DCA look like Fort Knox, we start a sabre-rattling song and dance about Iraq. They have really laid down the rules for this September 11. (I love the Iraq thing - think about it - one little terrorist thing in the US and we'll be all over Bagdhad like white on rice.)

 

[1900laker]

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the airdefense around DC and everything, But I have also been thinking.

Wouldn't it be a terrible terrorist act to force us to shoot down one of our own passenger jets. I mean specifically if they attempted a hijacking specifically thinking we would shoot it down. Seems like that would be a win/win for the terrorist. Hey Washington boys, wanna speed up getting some guns in those cockpits????

 

[katanabob]

Another consideration--what's a stinger missile going to do to an airliner bearing down on it at four bills? You'll knock off an engine. Even if the stinger wasn't heat seeking and did have a warhead weighing more than a grapefruit, the momentum of what you hit would still carry it right on top of you.
I'd like to think if there are any eggs placed in the missile defense basket, there's something besides stingers sitting on the hill.

 

[FL000]

Relax. This is just a response to the rumor that ASA will be flying into DCA.

 

[checkessential]

Yes, I'll agree with that one...

 

[Typhoon1244]

...some politicians couldn't seem to grasp that a simple, econonmical solution was readily available.

I know this is a terrible thing to say, but maybe it would have been better if UAL-93 had made it to D.C. a year ago instead of going down in Pennsylvania. It might have sped up the thought processes on Captiol Hill quite a bit.

 

[bigr]

I guess this puts to rest the rumor that pre - 9/11 the White House was armed with S.A.M.'s

 

[1900laker]

I guess this puts to rest the rumor that pre - 9/11 the White House was armed with S.A.M.'s

Why? Maybe they are going public now in attempt to deter.

 

[Flic1]

Geeez.....

I'd hate to be the poor student pilot that breaks the restriction around DC now. I think the best way to fly from Maryland to Maryland these days is by way of Pennsylvania.....

 

[bigr]

It makes no sense. the complete lack of coordination between the FAA and NORAD makes it unreasonable to assume air defenses at the white house. the secret service at the white house called the ANG unit at Andrews AFB for help in scrambling fighters. some of which were unarmed. interesting article below about the fighter pilots that flew that day and the chaos. The title of the article is "F-16 pilots considered ramming flight 93"




http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/channel_awst.jsp?view=story&id=news/aw090971.xml

 

[Captain X]

Does anybody really think that they'd try and take over aircraft again?

All Ali-fugazi-bin-ahmed-tabouli has to do is sit quietly in his seat while his positive bag matched, checked luggage with the C4 does all the work. Remember, they are suicide bombers, so they'll gladly get on the plane.

 

[TurboS7]

Pity the poor guy that gets lost in his 172 this weekend. I would say that there would be 6 or more Patriot trails heading right for him.

 

[1900laker]

Right!

"Where'd he go?"


"uhm.......where'd who go?"

 

[Eagleflip]

It makes no sense. the complete lack of coordination between the FAA and NORAD makes it unreasonable to assume air defenses at the white house. the secret service at the white house called the ANG unit at Andrews AFB for help in scrambling fighters. some of which were unarmed. interesting article below about the fighter pilots that flew that day and the chaos. The title of the article is "F-16 pilots considered ramming flight 93"

BigR, I'd daresay that very few people on this board know what coordination procedures do currently exist between the White House/Secret Service and NORAD. Those who do will naturally not say what those procedures are.

The story you quote is quite interesting and says a lot about the flexibility of our Air Force pilots. I believe that Navy or Marine pilots, had they been called to task, would have performed equally well during those hectic first hours after the attacks. I'm frankly not surprised at the lack of communication during at time, as no one anticipated such a frighteningly effective use of our own civilian aircraft.

Don't assume that previous issues haven't been worked out--I'm comfortable flying into Dulles and JFK tomorrow. But I'm going to be careful nonetheless.

 

[bigr]

Your quite right, the secret service for sure never would divulge such info. and NORAD is the same.

my conclusion is based on the flight path of AA Flight 77. It was screaming down on the white house. but it didn't hit because some think it was too hard for the hijackers to get a good visual on. had there been any "ack" "ack"... why didn't they use it? the secret service was aware of a hijacked plane headed for washington.

It then flew directly over Reagan and made a looping right turn until lined up on the pentagon.

check out this analysis of AA Flight 77's flight path with maps:

http://www.thepowerhour.com/postings/steves-analysis.htm