Malaysian jetliner disaster highlights risks of standalone systems for Ankara

Turkey’s intentions to build a Chinese long-range anti-missile system may pose security risks, analysts say, claiming the tragic shooting of a Malaysian jetliner by pro-Russian Ukrainian rebels reveal the dangers of a stanalone system that is not connected with central radar systems Military experts agree that the rebels in Ukraine who shot down a Malaysian jetliner, killing 298 people, may have made the tragic mistake because they did not have the right missile system to distinguish between military and civilian aircraft.

The shooting took place at a time when Turkey is rethinking its decision to choose a China-made, standalone air defense system.

Observers widely agree that the Boeing 777 was brought down by an SA-11 missile fired from an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

But to function correctly, an SA-11 launcher, also known as a Buk, is supposed to be connected to a central radar command – as opposed to acting alone – to be certain of exactly what kind of aircraft it is shooting at.

Experts say the rebels could easily make a tragic mistake and shoot down a passenger plane when indeed they wanted to shoot down a Ukrainian military plane. They say without a backup, a missile can be fired by operators who are not totally sure of what they are aiming at.

A Buk launcher, which is a self-propelled tracked vehicle resembling a tank, is ordinarily under the orders of a separate command post vehicle.

Concerning incidents

That was not the first disaster of its kind. Soviet air defenses in 1983 accidentally shot down Korean Airlines Flight 007, killing 269. In 1988, the USS Vincennes, a guided missile cruiser, brought down Iran...