Recent events have focused attention on the threat that terrorists with shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) 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 $1 million and $3 million per aircraft, and the time needed for implementation does not allow for immediate response to the existing terrorist threat. Legislation introduced in the 108th Congress (H.R. 580, S. 311) calls for the installation of missile defense systems in all turbojet aircraft used in scheduled air carrier service. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations for Fiscal Year 2004 (P.L. 108-90) designated $60 million dollars for development and testing of a prototype missile countermeasure system for commercial aircraft. DHS anticipates a two year program totaling about $100 million to develop, test, and certify a suitable system. This report will be updated as needed.


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    Title :

    Homeland Security: Protecting Airliners from Terrorist Missiles


    Contributors:
    C. Bolkcom (author) / B. Elias (author) / A. Feickert (author)

    Publication date :

    2003


    Size :

    26 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English






    Homeland Security: Protecting Airliners from Terrorist Missiles

    C. Bolkcom / B. Elias / A. Feickert | NTIS | 2003



    Homeland Security: Protecting Airliners from Terrorist Missiles

    C. Bolkcom / A. Feickert / B. Elias | NTIS | 2004