Plane with U.S. officials was fired at House members say C-130's defenses repelled missile; Boxer argues for similar equipment on commercial jets

Paul J. Caffera, Special to The Chronicle
Saturday, April 8, 2006

Members of Congress are used to being attacked by their political opposition, but being attacked by anti-aircraft missiles is another matter entirely.

In January, a six-member delegation of the House Armed Services Committee, led by Rob Simmons, R-Conn., came under missile attack as they traveled "lights out" on a military plane from Baghdad to Kuwait, according to three members of that delegation.

Reps. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., John Spratt, D-S.C., and Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, confirmed the incident to The Chronicle.

Sources familiar with the Defense Department investigation into the attack said the missile used in the attack on the C-130 carrying the delegation was an SA-18, considered the most sophisticated of Russian shoulder-fired missiles, or MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems).

Missile avoided

According to those same sources, the missile was deflected by the plane's countermeasures -- based on technology Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and other lawmakers have been seeking for commercial airliners.

Maj. Robert Palmer, spokesman for U.S. Central Command Air Forces, refused to comment on the reported attack and what specific means were used to protect the plane. "Coalition aircraft operating in Iraq have defensive countermeasures. For purposes of operational security, we cannot discuss the types or capabilities of these countermeasures," Palmer said. >>>cont

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