A simple system to merely drop $3 flares (perhaps even automatically on every takeoff and landing) would foil 65% of all black market missiles...
Posted on 05/28/2005 7:27:14 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
May 29, 2005
By ERIC LIPTON
In an airplane hangar north of Fort Worth, technicians are preparing to mount a fire-hydrant-shaped device onto the belly of an American Airlines Boeing 767. It is an effort that could soon turn into a more than $10 billion project to install a high-tech missile defense system on the nation's commercial planes.
The Boeing 767 - the same type of plane that terrorists flew into the World Trade Center - is one of three planes that, by the end of this year, will be used to test the infrared laser-based systems designed to find and disable shoulder-fired missiles. The missiles have long been popular among terrorists and rebel groups in war zones around the world; the concern now is that they could become a domestic threat.
The tests are being financed by the Department of Homeland Security, which has been directed by Congress to move rapidly to take technology designed for military aircraft and adapt it so it can protect the nation's 6,800 commercial jets. It has so far invested $120 million in the testing effort, which is expected to last through next year.
Yet even before the tests begin, some members of Congress, and several prominent aviation and terrorism experts, are questioning whether the rush to deploy this expensive new antiterrorism system makes sense.
Homeland Security officials have repeatedly cautioned that no credible evidence exists of a planned missile attack in the United States. But there is near unanimity among national security experts and lawmakers that because of the relatively low price and small size of the missiles, as well as the large number available on the black market, they represent a legitimate domestic threat.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
A simple system to merely drop $3 flares (perhaps even automatically on every takeoff and landing) would foil 65% of all black market missiles...
I just flew across country last light. I had a window seat and many times I stared out at the ground and envisoned a missile coming towards us. I was thinking about how easy it would be to do that and wondered why it hasn't already been done. The defense system seems like a good plan. Or maybe I'm just paranoid.
The BAE (TRACOR) Chaff/Flare dispensers work really well.
Buy Honeywell stock. Or LLL
Your just another citizen under the influence of left wing media bias, ready to support the right side protectors of freedom.
"Barbara Boxer is enthusiastic."
You misunderstand. Boxer is in favor of someone shooting missles at our commercial aircraft!
I think you misunderstood. She is in favor of lase-based missile defense system in airplane, which could be prohibitively expensive but may have limited effectiveness, which is the source of all controversy.
I think Boxer is into headline-grabbing.
Already rejected by DHS.
The competition is between Northrop Grumman and BAE Systens.
They were also worried about flares on commerical aircraft while being refueled. Lots of safety concerns.
Military aircraft get refueled all the time while the Chaff/Flares are in the dispensers. The System is made safe by the installation of a pin so that the system cannot fire when the pin is inserted. Of course this pin is removed prior to flight.
Perhaps they could use leftover styrofoam coffee cups from the meal service and those little foil bags of snack-crackers as chaff. :-)
"Chris Cox has reservations, while Barbara Boxer is enthusiastic. Hmmm..."
Want to bet someone in her family has ties to this?
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