Any information on this, Jim?
Quote from: butters on 07/18/2014 06:02 pmEven if they can pinpoint the launch site, they won't be able to identify who authorized and executed the launch. And regardless of who did it, there's not much that the U.S. can do about it. The world is more complicated place than it was when these assets were devised.In case Russia supplied rebels with sophisticated weapons that shot down a civilian airliner, there is a lot that the US, EU and Malaysia(which represents about half of global GDP) can do. There is a vast amount of money going to Russia from these countries for various things and their behavior or at least power/influence would surely be altered if it was cut off.
Even if they can pinpoint the launch site, they won't be able to identify who authorized and executed the launch. And regardless of who did it, there's not much that the U.S. can do about it. The world is more complicated place than it was when these assets were devised.
The SAM launch was likely detected by SBIRS GEO or SBIRS HEO which were launched by a Atlas or Delta vehicle or DSP launched from Titan IV. These could be used to pinpoint an area from which the launch occurred. Signint assets in GSO may have been able to hear any RF comm used in coordinating the launch. LEO assets, such as imaging sats or radar sats, may have photos of the launch site before the incident or were tasked soon after to look it. These were likely launched on Titan IV, DIVH or single core DIV or AV. The take from two types of sats was likely passed through relay sats in GSO or Molynia orbits.I will let others assign codes words to these assets.
Here is an article relevant to this topic.http://sattrackcam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/sbirs-sigint-and-mh17-tragedy.html?m=1
Stephen Trimble@FG_STrimAnyone reporting spy satellites spotting beer bottles lying around BUK launchers in Ukraine needs to check known resolution of KH-11 system.