<p class="title">US transport security officers confiscated a missile launcher from a checked bag at a Washington-area airport on Monday, with a Texas man saying it was a souvenir from Kuwait.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The launcher was found "early this morning" at Baltimore/Washington International airport, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein tweeted.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The "man said he was bringing it back from Kuwait as a souvenir. Perhaps he should have picked up a keychain instead!" she wrote.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The TSA issued a statement on the incident, saying that "the man, a resident of Jacksonville, Texas, told officials that he was active military personnel." "Fortunately the item was not a live device. It was confiscated and handed over to the state fire marshal for safe disposal. The man was permitted to catch his flight," TSA said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The statement included images of what appears to be the launch tube for a Griffin missile, which manufacturer Raytheon says is a "precise, low-collateral-damage weapon for irregular warfare operations." It "has a proven track record for successful rapid integration on land, sea and air platforms," according to Raytheon.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But the TSA said that the missile's launcher cannot, however, be integrated into luggage: "Military weapons are not permitted in checked or carry-on bags." </p>
<p class="title">US transport security officers confiscated a missile launcher from a checked bag at a Washington-area airport on Monday, with a Texas man saying it was a souvenir from Kuwait.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The launcher was found "early this morning" at Baltimore/Washington International airport, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein tweeted.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The "man said he was bringing it back from Kuwait as a souvenir. Perhaps he should have picked up a keychain instead!" she wrote.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The TSA issued a statement on the incident, saying that "the man, a resident of Jacksonville, Texas, told officials that he was active military personnel." "Fortunately the item was not a live device. It was confiscated and handed over to the state fire marshal for safe disposal. The man was permitted to catch his flight," TSA said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The statement included images of what appears to be the launch tube for a Griffin missile, which manufacturer Raytheon says is a "precise, low-collateral-damage weapon for irregular warfare operations." It "has a proven track record for successful rapid integration on land, sea and air platforms," according to Raytheon.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But the TSA said that the missile's launcher cannot, however, be integrated into luggage: "Military weapons are not permitted in checked or carry-on bags." </p>