Pentagon: Improvised ISIS Anti-Aircraft Tech No Threat to US Planes

ISIS Talked About Developing Such Rockets on Social Media

Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren today downplayed media reports of ISIS attempting to develop its own in-house anti-aircraft weaponry, saying the group’s improvised arms don’t pose a serious threat to US planes.

“ISIS tries to build a variety of improvised or homemade weapons but their effectiveness is limited against out technology.” The report appears to have been based on a tweet by ISIS claiming they were working on such weapons.

The tweet claimed ISIS is “trying to make Missiles in a way for them to shoot the Warplanes down to stop the bombing of #Raqqa,” which is ISIS capital city. There were no details on exactly what they’re trying to create.

Like most of the Middle East, ISIS is awash in existing weapons, including shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft weapons provided by US allies. Those smaller weapons have limited use against high-flying bombers, however, and ISIS may be trying to rig up some weapons with more range.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.