The simulator’s graphics are rudimentary, animated photographs of actual missile radar and launch panels. It’s all buttons, switches and dials wrapped around ugly but functional CRT monitors.

Firing up the missile radar vehicle’s gas turbine is as simple as flipping a switch. Once the turbine picks up enough speed, you’ll see a red light, which means it’s time to flip another switch activating the fire-control radar. Next, a few buttons toggles the antenna, with follow-up instructions on how to rotate the antenna to begin scanning for targets.

The most laborious process is learning how to track and acquire targets. We’ll leave it at this: It’s best to read the instructions.

What’s left out is everything else. SAM operators have to know how to troubleshoot and maintain the weapon. There are instructions on how to reset the Krug’s tracking system, but there’s no instructions about the operating doctrine on how to deploy these weapons—that’s left to the computer and its various pre-set scenarios.

The same is true for correctly identifying targets. Staring at the monochrome screens, the operator is unable to distinguish transponder signals from aircraft. As MIT Technology Review points out, the Buk missile launcher can’t distinguish between the two unless the system is tied into the local civilian air traffic system. Otherwise the operator is just looking at a target’s range, speed and altitude.

In short, you could be untrained and still figure out how to fire one of these things, but not trained enough to really know what you’re doing.

Give a bunch of fat, drunken rebels one of these things, and it’s not hard to see why that was a disastrously irresponsible idea.

Correction: We initially confused the 2K11 Krug missile with the 2K12 Kub. The Buk succeeded the Kub, not the Krug.

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