The Malaysian Airlines flight MH-17 is believed to have been shot down by an advanced Russian built surface-to-air missile system called the 9K37 BUK.
Here is your 10-point cheat-sheet on the missle:
- The BUK is a family of medium range, surface-to-air systems developed by the Soviet Union in the Cold War era.
- The BUK system can strike targets at heights upto 72,000 feet. The Malaysian jet was flying at 33,000 feet.
- A message on the official Twitter account of the Donetsk People's Republic had announced hours earlier that insurgents had seized a series of Russian-made Buk systems capable of soaring to that height. That tweet was later deleted.
- According to a Ukrainian state-owned firm, the country's military operates the Buk-M1 system designed to shoot down military aircraft, including helicopters, as well as cruise missiles.
- The BUK system has been constantly upgraded over the years and uses very advanced missiles.
- Each mobile BUK system has a launch vehicle, a radar vehicle and a command complex.
- Each BUK hold four missiles mounted on top of a vehicle so they can be transported quickly.
- The missile uses a radar to find its target. Once it is fired, it can reach target at a height of 30 km, 3 times the height at which the flight was cruising.
- Each missile carries a 70 kg explosive tip which explodes when it is closest to the target. Then the warhead showers shrapnel.
- Experts have said that both Ukrainian and Russian forces operate the BUK system which fires the very advanced SA-17 surface to air missile.
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