CIA developed tech to restrict anti-aircraft missiles given to allies, researcher says

The CIA developed technology to restrict anti-aircraft missiles once they are given to allies, a Dutch researcher said according to a Reuters report.

The researcher, Jos Wetzel, said at a cybersecurity conference in Germany over the weekend that the technology would be used for shoulder-fired missiles called Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems (MANPADS). This could convince U.S. officials to distribute these weapons more often, Reuters reported. 

Wetzel said CIA documents published by WikiLeaks in 2017 outlined the technology but was mislabeled and didn’t get public attention until now. The technology called “geofencing” provides a “smart arms control solution” to limit the missile’s usage “to a particular time and a particular place,” according to Reuters.

This would prevent weapons from being used by extremists should they obtain them.

It is unclear if the technology moved on from the planning period or where it was intended to be used, although Wetzel said it coincided with when MANPADS were given to rebels in Syria, Reuters reported.

The Hill reached out for comment to the CIA, which declined to comment to Reuters.