Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: hawker238 on September 12, 2004, 08:44:24 PM

Title: airliner missile defense
Post by: hawker238 on September 12, 2004, 08:44:24 PM: http://198.65.138.161/org/news/2004/040904-missile-risk.htm

US tackles missile terror risk

In-Depth Coverage
Shortly after two Russian Tupolev airliners crashed last week, possibly downed by terrorist bombs, the US unveiled a plan to thwart another possible threat to civil aircraft.

On 25 August the Department of Homeland Security announced it has awarded two $45 million contracts to test a plane-mounted computer vision system that can spot a missile when it is launched, track it and then blind it with a powerful laser. The system was originally designed for mounting on military aircraft.

Officials are worried about the threat posed by shoulder-launched missiles such as the American Stinger and Russian SA-7b, which are small, portable and reliant on "fire-and-forget" infrared guidance to home in on their targets. They are particularly concerned about the thousands of Stingers the US gave to Mujaheddin groups fighting the Soviet army in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Several hundred are thought to be unused and in the hands of Al-Qaida groups.

But big questions about the testing programme remain. Chief among these is who will pay -- an issue the Department of Homeland Security has studiously avoided. The cost of fitting the 5000-strong US airliner fleet with laser systems is likely to run to as much as $10 billion. "It's either increased fares or higher taxes," says John Pike, a security analyst at the GlobalSecurity.org think tank in Alexandria, Virginia. "One way or another, the American public will have to foot the bill."

Now that's proactive counter-terrorism. But who will whine about raising taxes? ;)
Title: airliner missile defense
Post by: B17Skull12 on September 12, 2004, 08:53:37 PM: only US fleet. What about international Fleet?
Title: airliner missile defense
Post by: hawker238 on September 12, 2004, 09:04:09 PM: I'm sure the technology will be available for purchase.
Title: airliner missile defense
Post by: B17Skull12 on September 12, 2004, 09:10:21 PM: but would the countries be willing that kinda money on it?
Title: airliner missile defense
Post by: VOR on September 12, 2004, 09:22:38 PM: I had a nice chat with a DC-9 pilot while westbound over the atlantic a few months ago, and the topic of defensive countermeasures on civil aircraft came up. According to him, there are several viable options available to spoof IR missiles but the air carrier he works for (and probably most others)won't go for it due to cost constraints. It would appear that at least from a capitalistic point of view the threat isn't yet pronounced enough to warrant the investment.
Title: airliner missile defense
Post by: Toad on September 12, 2004, 09:26:50 PM: It won't happen unless the taxpayers pay for it. The companies won't; most couldn't.
Title: Re: airliner missile defense
Post by: Tarmac on September 12, 2004, 09:40:18 PM: Quote
Originally posted by hawker238
But who will whine about raising taxes? ;)

Me.
Title: airliner missile defense
Post by: GRUNHERZ on September 13, 2004, 01:28:05 AM: Quote
Originally posted by Toad
It won't happen unless the taxpayers pay for it. The companies won't; most couldn't.

Sure they could, just renogotiate some fat union contracts.. :)
Title: airliner missile defense
Post by: Saintaw on September 13, 2004, 07:22:50 AM: That, and I don't think it works for plastic made wire cutters either. Too much to look for in too many different directions. I say ban the passengers! ... errmmm...
Title: airliner missile defense
Post by: Curval on September 13, 2004, 07:36:55 AM: If it is a valid threat then ticket prices will reflect the implimentation of anything designed to fool missiles.

I'll happily pay to keep my family and I safe.