4 ms·

Key components are 6 grams of white pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and "highly flammable material" as a detonator. PETN was developed in 1906, and is acces

Key components are 6 grams of white pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and "highly flammable material" as a detonator. PETN was developed in 1906, and is accessible to more advanced hobby chemists. So we have explosive device that passes through airport security scanner. And can be made at home by dedicated individuals... What are the implications for air travel?

owenmarshall 2y ago
Airlines are already banning pagers and walkie talkies. I wonder how many duds are currently being processed by Hezbollah right now. (0): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/07/world/middleeast/emirates-bans-pagers-and-walkie-talkies-on-flights-after-attacks.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/07/world/middleeast/emirates...
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago
  > Airlines are already banning pagers and walkie talkies The threat vector OP refers to is a terrorist packaging this into e.g. a laptop.
gizmondo 2y ago
The trick is probably not to make PETN, but to package it in such a way there are no traces of it outside? There are likely no implications for air travel. At least I always assumed that advanced state actors can make explosives that are undetectable by airport security scanners.
JumpCrisscross 2y ago
> we have explosive device that passes through airport security scanner I don't think it passes through modern American scanners--they can theoretically discriminate plastic explosives (and presumably detonators) from water, though whether it gets caught is a matter of TSA competence.
- digdugdirk 2y ago
  The explosive is completely sealed inside the battery casing. It's highly likely to be undetectable. Part of the reason why this is one of those "cat out of the bag" type things.
shell_game 2y ago
Nitrated explosives are detectable by airport security scanners. Dogs also pick up the scent of nitrates in seconds.
ls_waiting 2y ago
I mean, the implication is that they either tested the pagers on an airport's security scanner (pointing to state built explosive devices making their way onto consumer flights). Or they tested them on their airport security scanners (and the question of why this group needs an airport security scanner to test things on). Either way, the implications for air travel are not all that great!

owenmarshall 2y ago

Airlines are already banning pagers and walkie talkies. I wonder how many duds are currently being processed by Hezbollah right now. (0): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/07/world/middleeast/emirates-bans-pagers-and-walkie-talkies-on-flights-after-attacks.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/07/world/middleeast/emirates...

JumpCrisscross 2y ago
> Airlines are already banning pagers and walkie talkies The threat vector OP refers to is a terrorist packaging this into e.g. a laptop.

gizmondo 2y ago

The trick is probably not to make PETN, but to package it in such a way there are no traces of it outside? There are likely no implications for air travel. At least I always assumed that advanced state actors can make explosives that are undetectable by airport security scanners.

JumpCrisscross 2y ago

> we have explosive device that passes through airport security scanner I don't think it passes through modern American scanners--they can theoretically discriminate plastic explosives (and presumably detonators) from water, though whether it gets caught is a matter of TSA competence.

digdugdirk 2y ago
The explosive is completely sealed inside the battery casing. It's highly likely to be undetectable. Part of the reason why this is one of those "cat out of the bag" type things.

shell_game 2y ago

Nitrated explosives are detectable by airport security scanners. Dogs also pick up the scent of nitrates in seconds.

ls_waiting 2y ago

I mean, the implication is that they either tested the pagers on an airport's security scanner (pointing to state built explosive devices making their way onto consumer flights). Or they tested them on their airport security scanners (and the question of why this group needs an airport security scanner to test things on). Either way, the implications for air travel are not all that great!