[Closed] No, seriously?

London on a normal day:

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Olympics are coming

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So tootall - as none of us can see what these missiles would be for would you tell us?

Just who or what would they shoot down?

We won't be able to tell that you are the persecuted if you don't keep it up.

Well I've never felt the need to claim that I've been persecuted TooTall ........ do you think I should ?

Perhaps I should start by claiming that I'm being denied the right to sleep ?

Seriously mate, wtf you on about ?

I thought you had been nailed to a cross Ernie? Isn't that what they do to carpenters who annoy the powers that be?

Who or what is going to protect us oop north, with all the militry down south, god time for an invasion i think.

During WW2, the island in the middle of the Firth of Forth was all dressed up to look like a battle cruiser (or something).

Surely with modern technology we could harness some of the Blitz Spirit and fake up a Death Star above London ??

I thought you had been nailed to a cross Ernie?

I came back.

It's a little trick of the trade known only to messianic woodworkers.

It's a ploy to let our athletes win at javelin, discus and hammer events. The missiles will vaporise the oppositions thrown objects leaving our plucky athletes to clean up.

Some time ago I read that the Yanks insisted on surface to air missiles rather than it being a British idea. Supposedly, STA missiles have been deployed at most Olympics, so this may be nothing new. Warship in the Thames and outside Weymouth for the yachting may be a response to the new world order. If a lone swimmer can disrupt the Boat Race, who knows what others may have planeed for the Olympics? Also, remember that there has been an appeal for extra blood donations....

Also, remember that there has been an appeal for extra blood donations....

Sounds like Starstreak

Last ditch point defence weapon against an under the radar screen aerial attack. If I was thinking of doing ambush marketing over london in a microlite I'd think again

It's a little trick of the trade known only to messianic woodworkers

messianic woodworkers!?! coming over here. stealing our jobs.
get back to messiania where you came from.

Remember when they parked tanks at Heathrow?

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At the risk of stating the bloody obvious- this can be only one of two things.

The more innocent explanation is that it's a straightforward attempt to make people think they're doing all they can about terrorism, and that we should feel safe.

The less innocent explanation is that it's a straightforward attempt to make people feel like they're under threat from terrorism, and that we should feel less safe.

Up to you. Though, it's definately the second one.

I suspect that pic by boba may be his last - if that's not a credible threat on London, I don't know what is 😆

Imagine the H and Safety forms to fill in and the risk assesments, then there are toilet facilies alonfg with cooking facilites, sleeping bunks, and lots more, should keep an army of jobsworths in work for months.

What tyres for anti aircraft guns.

Up to you. Though, it's definately the second one.

I strongly feel that it's a combination of the two. George Bush's administration were particularly good at cranking the fear of terrorism amongst the American public, whilst calmly reassuring them that they were completely in control of the situation.

get back to messiania where you came from

Not until I lead my people there - I'm still working on the parting of the waters trick.

Although sod it - I might just end up using the channel tunnel instead.

Sorry ernie, thought that bit went without saying.

I suspect that pic by boba may be his last - if that's not a credible threat on London, I don't know what is

my neighbors have complained about the Death Star in the back garden under a tarp and the suspicious amount of grey lego I get regularly delivered to complete my star destroyer

Think ahead people, the wider picture...

defensive measures on top of ugly tower blocks (probably with equally ugly residents), any attacking force will of course take out these defensive measures as a matter of urgency before securing air superiority...bye bye blot on the landscape tower blocks...

Just saying.

Sorry ernie, thought that bit went without saying.

My mistake then, I had assumed that by saying "this can be only one of two things" you were suggesting it could only one or the other.

Ah yes, messy wording, should have been "one of only two things"

Though, tbh I would say that the 2 are mutually exclusive, the approaches are too different even if the outcome is similiar- the former is simply about exploiting existing fear, the latter about creating it in order to exploit it.

Which, ironically, is terrorism 😉

What's the problem with having it there just in case? People would only complain if someone attacked and it hadn't been thought of.

The problem is that a lot of non-military people think that the placing of weapons in an area is always a sign of an ulterior motive as opposed to a bunch of blokes in uniform missing out on weekend leave.

The lengths they go to stop cheating at these Olympics, the pole vaulters and high jumpers better be weary!

They'd better not be too [i]weary[/i], they'd not win owt! 🙂

On a similar theme to guided missiles, does anyone know if GPS is still going to work in London during the Olympics?

On a similar theme to guided missiles, does anyone know if GPS is still going to work in London during the Olympics?

Missiles would be pretty useless if it wasn't.

Missiles would be pretty useless if it wasn't.

Just who or what would they shoot down?

If everything works properly, nothing. If not, any airborne threat.

Imagine the H and Safety forms to fill in and the risk assesments, then there are toilet facilies alonfg with cooking facilites, sleeping bunks, and lots more,

Amazing. Tell me more. 😐

If everything works properly, nothing. If not, any airborne threat.

I think the question is asking what form this "airborne threat" might take. Care to make a suggestion, or is it stretching the imagination too far ?

Personally, like most people, I struggle to think of many examples of airborne terrorist threats. Or why they should apply only during the Olympics - I haven't heard of permanent deployment of SAM missiles over London to counter possible terrorist threats, despite the fact that most terrorist attacks occur outside the Olympics.

As ernie says.

A hijacked airliner? would they really shoot it down over london. a fighter plane from the east? Surely dealt with befoe it gets to london or again would they really shoot it down over the city?

Just who or what would they shoot down?

[img] http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSp3PLrx5oX-khDWc5KWH9XKQt9M-V5O5bzUyUfAafeBswiSuRQ1vJOjs7bVQ [/img]

I read this yesterday and from the description its Bow Quarter which is about a mile from me 😯

A hijacked airliner?

YOu really think a government could shoot a hijacked airliner down over a city?

sigh, standards are slipping around here.... a full 1 1/2 pages before

What tyres for anti aircraft guns.

That said, worry not about the tyres - the locals will have it up on bricks before breakfast 😉

Besides - any terrorist with sense will be up north, out of the way of all the police..... create an 'event' thus causing a freaking great panic as our defences have to rush north.... thus leaving the door open a touch wider down south - classic diversion tactics.....

what form this "airborne threat" might take

Anything from a remote drone (just like the one being 'reverse engineered' in a certain Middle East country) to a hijacked aircraft of any size.

Missiles have range and you have defence in depth, not one layer.

most terrorist attacks occur outside the Olympics.

Correct. But get it right during the Olympics, with billions watching and hundreds of thousands attending, you hit the Big Time. Every Olympics has a massive security effort - this is just the latest.

FFS TJ? Did you read what I wrote?
Do you think a Govt would allow an airline to crash into a crowded stadium?
TJ, you accuse me of adding nothing constructive to the forum, yet it would appear that you have done nothing but provoke and attack people on a few threads. I could understand a girlie getting stroppy once every few weeks, but FFS! Get youself a life.

YOu really think a government could shoot a hijacked airliner down over a city?

Assuming it is possible then, might it be possible for them to crash it into a stadium containing 50,000+ people?

Damage limitation isnt it?

Yes I read what yo said - I simply do not believe any government could take teh decision to shoot an airliner down over a city. Understand the principle of why it might be the best decision in abstract but in reality I don't think they would have the bottle to do it quickly enough

A hijacked airliner? would they really shoot it down over london.

edit - too late.....

Wouldn't shooting it out of the sky and killing a couple of thousand be a bit better?

Why take the chance ? Surely it would be far wiser to ban all flights near London while the Olympic stadium is occupied.

I mean, you can't be too sure - can you ? And "killing a couple of thousand" seems like rather drastic action.

On reflection I don't think the government is taking this airborne terrorist threat seriously enough.

I can't actually believe that an airline would be allowed into that position in the first place, so a bit of a moot point.

Being completely unqualified and starting from a position of a zero knowledge base, I am going to offer my opinion.

On BBC news today they were actually filming the towerblock in question- in detail, with narration of exactly where they were. Surely they would never actually place missiles of any kind in a location that was being advertised on the national news, under any circumstances?

So seems to me the whole thing is a massive publicity stunt that will probably never happen, or certainly the chap on the news moaning about his house being turned into a missile silo can sleep safe, because if they're deployed, they won't be anywhere near where everyone thinks they are?

don simon - Member

I can't actually believe that an airline would be allowed into that position in the first place, so a bit of a moot point.

Exactly - there is no credible threat than needs SAM batteries placed in the city

Put the fear of god into people and you can control them.

Except it dosent seem to work with us Brits because we just take the p155 out of everything 😆

Isnt humour wonderful......

Exactly - there is no credible threat than needs SAM batteries placed in the city