[benj111]

How useful is this in actuality?

Could I launch it from the ground, or does it need to be launched from the air? Could i just strap it to a Cessna, or does it need other systems (radar?) to work? Does it need the original war head, or can you attach any old explosive device.

In short, if I as a potential terrorist wanted to shoot down a plane, would this be a reasonable starting point?

[mikeyouse]

Not at all useful, needs to be fired from the air, from a specific outdated French jet weapon system that essentially nobody uses any more. Speculation was that maybe Libya would have a use for it. And yes, its target needs to be painted with a radar for the entire flight.

30kg of high explosive could be useful to a generic terrorist but it's unlikely that the missile itself would have been used.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/28976/italian-cops-rai...

[benj111]

That's kind of what I thought.

But then the asking price seems high, it doesn't seem to have a warhead so this is just the missile.

[kitteh]

I would be much more concerned about the Chinese MANPADs that Qatar acquired and made their way into Syria and beyond.

[throwaway8879]

Probably not very useable at all. But it points out how independant actors are able to access weapons that are otherwise not sold to anybody who isn't the state.

Which leads to the question, if an incompetent party that was careless enough get busted has access to an old and useless missile, then what do the competent independent groups have access to?

[benj111]

But maybe they only bought it because they were incompetent? Maybe the competent groups know that some random air to air missile is worthless, and steered well clear.

[klez]

They were trying to sell it, not use it directly. At which point it may end in the hands of someone who might know how to use it or how to retrofit it for other uses.

[krtkush]

I think the fuel and the explosive in it are individually useful/ valuable. The missile itself is a semi-active radar guided air to air missile and I doubt these guys had the resources to use it is originally intended to.

[napolux]

Italian here, in the news they said it looks like the rocket was empty. So explosive was probably removed to be used by itself.

[benj111]

The linked article said it didn't have a warhead. Are you saying it didn't have any propellant either? In that case an expensive tube?

[napolux]

According to some sources, no warhead, but there's no mention of propellant.

Some sources say "ready to be armed and used" but with no other detail.

Some others are mentioning Matra as the manufacturer.

[brighter2morrow]

The more that comes out about this story the more boring it seems.