The BUK surface-to-air missile believed to have brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 is a Soviet-era weapon.
The development of this rocket began in 1972, so its special purpose is the destruction of airplanes, helicopters and other missiles.
It is very popular in Eastern European countries, including Ukraine.
They are capable of destroying an airplane the size of a Boeing 777 flying at an altitude of 10.000 meters.
Witnesses of the accident claim that the remains of the plane and parts of the passengers' bodies were scattered in an area of 14 kilometers, which would confirm the theory that the plane disintegrated in the air.
The BUK system has a large automatic launch device, which, with the help of radar, locates and destroys aircraft or missiles flying at an altitude of up to 15.000 meters.
The most modern rockets of this system bear the NATO designation SA 17 and have a take-off weight of 710 kilograms, a length of 5,55 meters and a diameter of 4 meters.
They can reach a top speed of 1.200 meters per second and withstand maneuvering at a load of 24 G.
This system is the successor of the Kub system, which was part of the former JNA.
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