Military Ready to Shoot Down Airliners

Reuters | October 2, 2003

[the_greatest_country_ever]

Military Ready to Shoot Down Airliners - U.S. General
By Charles Aldinger

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Air Force pilots practice weekly and are psychologically ready to shoot down civilian airliners in any new attack on America like Sept. 11, the general in charge of domestic defense said on Thursday.

The chief of the U.S. military's Northern Command also said better cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies had minimized the risk of downing an innocent civilian passenger jet.

"We practice it several times a week. Sometimes we practice three or four times a week -- the connectivity and having pilots airborne and go through mock exercises," Air Force Gen. Ralph Eberhart told reporters in an interview.

He said pilots and ground controllers were screened to make sure they would not refuse an order to shoot down a suspicious airliner packed with civilians such as the hijacked jets that crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon outside Washington and a field in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001.

"Unequivocally, to the American people, we believe that we have the right responsibilities and authorities established. We have the right rules of engagement," Eberhart said.

He refused to reveal detailed rules but said a very careful chain of command of both identification and final authority had been established to order a shoot-down despite natural hesitancy.

"Somebody just can't get up on the radio channel and say 'Hey, I'm the president of the United States, shoot that down."' Eberhart said.

"They (pilots and ground controllers) have to be certified in how you use all this authentication material."

MENTALLY PREPARED
But he said hundreds of pilots in the military's North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), responsible for joint protection of the United States and Canada, were regularly screened to make sure that they were neither "trigger happy" nor "trigger hesitant" in an emergency.

"Frankly, we have long discussions with people to see if they're mentally prepared to do this -- pilots and operators on the ground, too, for the air defense system," he said.

"As we talk our way through this with our people, the important thing is they know we have done everything possible," Eberhart told reporters. "This is our last resort. And if we don't do this, innocent people on the ground are going to die, too."

He said that pilots as well as crews operating anti-aircraft missiles around Washington area have been carefully instructed about who can order a shoot-down and drilled in codes that must be provided by those giving the orders.

"They are quizzed on the rules of engagement to make sure they understand what they can and cannot do, what authority they must hear from, how they must hear that," Eberhart said.

Eberhart said the Northern Command, which became fully operational last month, is exchanging intelligence and aircraft radar information with both federal and state government agencies on terrorism threats to the United States.

"We don't want to be just good at cleaning up" after an attack, he added, stressing that the aim was to prevent strikes ranging from chemical and biological weapons to explosives and possible hijackings.

[the_greatest_country_ever]

This is a great message to be be out. This puts any would be conspirators on notice that should they even succeed in smuggling weapons of any kind on board, they're going to hell before they get to accomplish the primary goals of their death mission in a giant ball of fiery death.

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[dr_who_2]

How much practice does an airforce fighter pilot need for something like that?

[Marauder]

Now more than ever ... drive.

[Blood of Tyrants]

First, this is assuming the hijackers would even try the same tactic. The mindset is completely different since 9/11. No able bodied persons are going to sit quietly while a hijacker kills them all. The next attack will most likely be smuggled shoulder fired missiles from just outside the airport's runway.

Second, this is assuming that a hijacked aircraft will be detected, targeted, fighters launched, intercepted, verified, and a shoot down authorized before the BG can crash the plane. How long was the first plane in the air before it crashed into the WTC? 45 minutes?

Third, the terrorists would just LOVE it if they were able to force the military to kill it's own citizens.

Fourth, knowing the military is prepared to shoot down planes and they REALLY wanted to crash it into something, wouldn't they come up with a tactic that eliminates the threat of shootdown? Such a contacting the tower and claiming that they had planted a chemical of bio bomb in NYC and were prepared to kill tens of thousands if they were interfered with. Yes, they would most likely detonate the WMD anyway, but something like that might buy them just enough time to do the deed.

[Gunrunner2]

Usual air-to-air interecpt practice with plenty of drilling on ROE.

[Gunrunner2]

Usual air-to-air intercept practice with plenty of drilling on ROE.

[Argus]

Well, God forbid we should just arm the airline pilots. They might shoot a hole in the plane or something.

[Conservababe]

This is not news. This has always been protocol.

[NewRomeTacitus]

Meanwhile the FAA is still throwing up obstacles to keep pilots unarmed. If we trust a person to fly an airliner why do they need additional psychological testing to be armed?
I heard (but don't know for sure) that the FBI volunteered to have all pilots trained in less than a years time and the FAA turned down the offer. Does anyone have any more on this?

[safisoft]

we should just arm the airline pilots

This quietly being done, by real professionals. While the children are playing and talking to the media, the grown-ups are at work.

[Major_Risktaker]

All depends on the passenger list.

Strange article and someone is sending a message in a bottle.

[Mr. Mojo]

Military Ready to Shoot Down Airliners

Gotta love the (leftist) Reuters' headline. Gee, do you think it was crafted to evoke a negative emotional response towards this administration? The military has always been prepared to shoot down airliners in a worst-case scenario. This is standard protocol.

[neverdem]

What's a BG? All of the foregoing should emphasize the need for Norman Mineta and the TSA to get with the program for arming pilots. They also need to arm the cargo pilots. Remember the clown that had flown to Texas in a crate just recently.

[vpintheak]

This is a liberal tactic trying to scare people, while trying to point out that the US will kill its own people, trying to make the military look evil. Personally I think it's a good thing but then I knew they would do this a long time ago.

[Unknowing]

"Lesser of two evils," by a longshot, but nobody should have to make such a decision. With all of their famous security layers, I wonder if the Israeli policy is any different from what's reported here.

[JRandomFreeper]

No able bodied persons are going to sit quietly while a hijacker kills them all.

The passengers on the jet that my unit took to our last AT (Annual Tour) seemed happy that we were there. There was a visible relaxation when we showed up.

/john

[the_greatest_country_ever]

Please click the link: What's Next Al-Qaeda?

[dagnabbit]

This shoot-down training is probably necessary. It would be a lot more acceptable however if, as you said, far more pilots were armed today.

It would also be more acceptable if we had stopped letting people pour into this country from terrorist-source nations such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, etc, and properly profiled those here seeking to board flights.

[Blood of Tyrants]

BG is shorthand for bad guy. Bush and Mineta have opposed arming the pilots since the beginning. Since Congress took the decision out of their hands, they have made it as difficult and inconvenient and expensive as possible for the pilots. For that alone, Bush and Mineta ought to be horsewhipped.

And poeple tried to tell me that Bush was a conservative! (Spit!)