You are correct about the BUK, but many of the 'separatists' are mercenaries......

with experience in Georgia, Chechnya and elsewhere.

There are normally three vehicles in the BUK system, but the separatists only had the launch vehicle, which although it has integral radar, does not have any IFF capability, hence they didn't know what they might have shot at. This also explains the confusion on the taped intercepts of when the locals first arrived on the scene thinking they had shot down a Ukrainian military plane.

I was nearly 15 years in the military too by the way.

Posted By: Kirrie, Jul 23, 16:35:50