'UK’s RAF training foreign states to counter militant missiles'
A new report says staff from the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) are training foreign governments to prevent airliners being shot down by militant missiles.
According to the Sunday Times, a team of British experts, including RAF troops, has been training foreign governments on how to increase security at airports to prevent such attacks.
The report says UK government officials estimate that up to 10,000 portable, ground-to-air missile systems, known as “manpads”, went missing from Libyan arms bunkers after the 2011 revolution in the North African country.
The shoulder-launched missiles have since turned up in war zones and failed states across Africa and the Middle East, and have been described as an unprecedented menace to air traffic.
The latest report says UK ministers have been warned that it is “too late” to control the distribution of the missiles, some of which are believed to have been seized by militant groups such as ISIL.
The proliferation of such weapons, which can hit aircraft flying below 20,000 feet, has also been fuelled by the war in Syria, it added.
The “counter Manpads team” overseen by the Department for Transport (DfT), also includes specialists from Scotland Yard and British Airways.
British teams have also been training foreign airport staff how to search passengers to stop them smuggling weapons and explosive on board.
Training has reportedly focused on Africa and the Persian Gulf region, and 75 courses have been taught in 30 countries to more than 1,600 staff in the past four years.
70,000 pro-Palestine people in UK urge London to end arms exports to Israel
Former minister says UK should consider sending troops to Ukraine
British PM Sunak doubles down on commitment to arm Israel
VIDEO | Iranians hold nationwide demos in support of IRGC
Syria condemns US veto of Palestine UN membership resolution
Iraqi resistance forces hit Israeli Ovda air base
Hackers break into Israeli military’s computers, access trove of documents
Tulkarm Brigade commander killed by Israeli forces in raid on refugee camp
Zionist media desperately trying to turn Israeli defeat into victory: Iran
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Iran censures US veto of Palestinian request for full UN membership
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
