SAMs to be installed on Gated community roof.

[Janusi]

Yeah, read about it and the whole thing is ridiculous. Having some sort of rocket-attack or airplane flying into an olympic stadium is vanishingly unlikely and I really don't see how the burning debris of an airplane crashing into London is any safer.

Unless they're disintegrating rockets?

 

[Silurian]

Six SAM sites anounced.
BBC link includes map of sites.

From BBC

Surface-to-air missiles could be deployed at six sites across London, as preparations begin for a major Olympics security exercise.

Sites include the Lexington Building in Tower Hamlets and the Fred Wigg Tower in Waltham Forest, east London.

Also named are Blackheath Common; and Oxleas Wood, both in south-east London; William Girling Reservoir in Enfield; and Barn Hill in Epping Forest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17891223

The other residential site is not so up market so the residents will not be so good at using the media to try to stop the deployment on their roof.

From UK Housing Wiki

Fred Wigg Tower is a 17 storey tower block on the Montague Road Estate in Waltham Forest, East London. It was in 1966 and is 45 metres tall

http://ukhousing.wikia.com/wiki/Fred_Wigg_Tower

 

[El_Machinae]

I really don't see how the burning debris of an airplane crashing into London is any safer.

I guess it depends upon the quality of the target chosen by the terrorist. A high-quality target means that you're going to see a relative improvement by dropping the plane randomly. (not much consolation to the victims, obviously)

 

[Mise]

That's a trolley problem if I ever heard one...

 

[El_Machinae]

Just a run-of-the-mill one, though. I cannot really think of an analogy for pushing a really fat man in front of a terrorist-commandeered UAV.

 

[Silurian]

There is a fair bit of open land on the east side of the river Lea north and south of Olympic Park where it is possible a plane could crash. I think it is better for a plane to come down in a uncontrolled manner than be aimed.

But the missile batteries should be positioned as far from residential properties as it is possible in London. If there is a 911 style attack they are an obvious target.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing

 

[say1988]

At least it's the Army doing it. When I read the thread title I thought this was the gated communities own doing.

As far as I am aware, the British don't have American syle HoAs or anything quite comparable in terms of power.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

As far as I am aware, the British don't have American syle HoAs or anything quite comparable in terms of power.

Tell me more of this shangri la.

 

[holy king]

I don't really the problem with this, the system itself is safe (if you're not a rogue light aircraft) and their impact should be minimal. Now, if they're stationing gunships there oth...

i dont know about the system, but wouldnt you ahve to store the ammunition next to it?

 

[El_Machinae]

It's really fairly small ammunition. They're not very big rockets. 2 lbs each, in total.

 

[holy king]

but explosive, right?

 

[say1988]

The propellant is probably a bigger risk than the warhead. Most military explosives are safe enough from accidental detonation unless from the operator doing something stupid (for example C4 pretty much requires a detonator to go off). I can't actually find what is used in the Starsteak warheads or as a propellant, though.

But I doubt they will have very many missiles (I wouldn't be suprised if they only had the initial three for the tubes. I doubt they are looking to shoot down a whole squadron of aircraft and assuming the missile works and the operator doesn't screw up, nothing short of a combat aircraft is likely to avoid it, so a whole pile on site is likely unnecessary. And any spare missiles probably won't just be lieing around.

However, that quick google did get me interested in the system, seems pretty interesting and versatile (not sure, but one site said they were testing a variant on helicopters as an air-to-surface missile).

 

[Silurian]

The biggest risk from the missiles is that they will draw an attack on the buildings they are placed on top of.

 

[BvBPL]

I wonder if this would violate the 3rd amendment in the States (which prohibits quartering of soldiers in private residences w/o the owners' consent during peace time).

 

[El_Machinae]

The biggest risk from the missiles is that they will draw an attack on the buildings they are placed on top of.

Yeah, that's true. Honestly, though I'd love to get a tour of the set-up, I'd not want to be at home while it's there. A long time ago, we settled that some people think it's ethically okay to attack military targets 'protected' by civilian assets.

 

[Takhisis]

Putting military equipment on the top of civilian buildings is just asking for trouble. And more than a little bit hypocritical.

The biggest risk from the missiles is that they will draw an attack on the buildings they are placed on top of.

Exactly! They're actually making targets out whichever places they place these 'defenses' on.

I wonder if this would violate the 3rd amendment in the States (which prohibits quartering of soldiers in private residences w/o the owners' consent during peace time).

It's not a soldier, just like a drone is just a piece of flying junk.

Yeah, that's true. Honestly, though I'd love to get a tour of the set-up, I'd not want to be at home while it's there. A long time ago, we settled that some people think it's ethically okay to attack military targets 'protected' by civilian assets.

So, we should extend the same logic to the enemy and allow them to attack our civilians and claim they are waging war or whatever it is they do in foreign parts.

 

[GoodGame]

I guess I shouldn't be taking any passengers flights about this time.....

 

[Dachs]

The biggest risk from the missiles is that they will draw an attack on the buildings they are placed on top of.

An attack from whom?

 

[Mise]

An attack from whom?

IRA? They're long overdue for a bombing.

 

[Silurian]

An attack from whom?

Well the missiles are on the roof to protect against terrorists attacking the Olympic Park with aircraft.

If terrorists are capable of using aircraft it is very probable that they are also capable of using a lorry bomb.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/24/newsid_2523000/2523345.stm

I think we all know that terrorists can carry out coordinated attacks.