Free Republic

LONDON. -- El Al is believed to be the only civilian airline to have installed anti-missile defense systems following FBI warnings six months ago that commercial airliners could be targeted by al-Qaida terrorists firing portable ground-to-air missiles. According to a report in the London Times on Friday, most airlines noted the warning but few took any action because of cost - some $3 million per aircraft. The system is said to be capable of sensing an approaching missile and deploying a false signal, usually a flare, to divert it. Heat-seeking missiles, such as the Sam-7s which were fired at the...