Recent events have focused attention on the threat that terrorists with shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), referred to as Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS), pose to commercial airliners. Most believe that no single solution exists to effectively mitigate this threat. Instead, a menu of options may be considered, including installing infrared (IR) countermeasures on aircraft; modifying flight operations and air traffic control procedures; improving airport and regional security; and strengthening missile non-proliferation efforts. Equipping aircraft with missile countermeasure systems can protect the aircraft even when operating in areas where ground-based security measures are unavailable or infeasible to implement. However, this option has a relatively high cost, between S 1 million and 53 million per aircraft, and the time needed for implementation does not allow for immediate response to the existing terrorist threat. Procedural improvements such as specific flight crew training, altering air traffic procedures to minimize exposure to the threat, and improved security near airports may be less costly than countermeasures and could more immediately help deter domestic terrorist attacks. However, these techniques by themselves cannot completely mitigate the risk of domestic attacks and would not protect U.S. airliners flying to and from foreign airports.
Homeland Security: Protecting Airliners From Terrorist Missiles
2006
30 pages
Report
No indication
English
Air Transportation , Transportation Safety , Antimissile Defense Systems , Emergency Services & Planning , Air traffic , Terrorism , Countermeasures , Homeland security , Air defense , Terrorists , Guided missiles , Aircraft , Commercial aircraft , Risk , Foreign , Flight crews , Flight training , Threats , Security , Attack , Air traffic control systems , Solutions(General) , Flight , Surface to air missiles , Ground based , Guided missile countermeasures , Domestic , Manportable equipment , Airports