no—there are Syria-related things ongoing in Bulgaria (open source) but even that can't answer this. Prob stolen. https://t.co/B8cCAGT8er
— Robert Caruso (@robertcaruso) March 13, 2016
Serbia’s authorities are investigating reports that a cargo package bound for the U.S. containing two missiles with explosive warheads was found on a passenger flight from Lebanon to Serbia. N1 television said the package with two guided armor-piercing missiles was discovered Saturday by a sniffer dog after an Air Serbia flight from Beirut landed at Belgrade airport. Serbian media say documents listed the final destination for the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles as Portland, Oregon. The American-made projectiles can be fired from air, sea or ground platforms.
Imagine my surprise to awaken yesterday to news that made me wonder if Serbia (or someone) hadn’t for some reason declared war on the Rose City. It’s not every day Puddleton’s caught up in the arms trade or possibly targeted for some sort of attack. Of course, no one’s advocating that Portland needs to go on DEFCON-5 because Hellfire missiles are headed our way, but it does give one pause.
Turns out the Army says the missiles were destined for the company that produces them- Lockheed, which has an office here in Portland. It’s unclear whether someone packaged them incorrectly (What do you mean I can’t ship them UPS??) or just didn’t think that shipping Hellfire missiles in the cargo hold of a commercial airliner might not be the best plan.
Having lived and traveled in Serbia, it comes as no surprise to me that there might be people crazy and resourceful (if not particularly smart) enough to try to get a couple of missile into the U.S. by whatever means might be available. Just imagine the havoc one of those things could visit upon your morning commute, eh? This is precisely why I don’t drive the local freeways to work.
Serbian media say documents listed the final destination for the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles as Portland. The American-made projectiles can be fired from air, sea or ground platforms against multiple targets.
The Serbian state news agency Tanjug reported that the missiles had been packed in wooden coffins and unloaded at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, where they were inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs.
This type of missile was originally designed to be fired from a helicopter and was named Helicopter Launched, Fire and Forget Missile — later shortened to Hellfire.
The AGM-114 model is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrup Grumman. It weighs about 100 pounds and costs about $110,000 apiece. Most models use laser to home in on their targets, although one version of the AGM-114 relies on radar.
So far, no one here in Portland seems to be losing much sleep. Perhaps we’re just flattered that someone would think a sleepy metropolis at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers worthy of targeting. Perhaps the millennials here are more concerned with where the next IPA or bottle of kombucha might be coming from.
Or perhaps it’s just a publicity stunt to promote the new season of Portlandia?
As things developed yesterday, news came to light that the Hellfire missiles were inert rounds intended for training purposes. Later in the day, the FBI and State Department said the missiles were destined for the other Portland- in Maine. It appears the good citizens of the Rose City may once again rest easy.
Move along, people. Nothing to see here….
