A new phase in protecting planes from possible terrorists. http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/01/16/airline.anti.missile.ap/index.html
Yes, some of them, and some will start in June using the Flight Guard system. However, some airports have an issue with that, so I am not sure about all those details of why.
This is totally silly. It is an incredibly expensive program to counter a non-existent threat. I'm getting tired of this nation doing the terrorist's work for them.
Well, I'm sure Northrop Grumman is happy about it... and for some reason, that matters more than any calculations involving the actual risk/intelligence/probability that terrorists are planning on firing missiles at commercial airplanes. I'm not saying human life isn't precious, but people put $$'s on human lives lost all the time in making calculations regarding risk. Considering the billions that would be spent on a program like this, I would hope there would be judicious review before planes taking off from places like Omaha are required to be equiped with this anti-missile system. Better yet, grandfather the technology in. Require all new planes to have this technology. Make Boeing and NG work it out and let the market decide on a fair price.
It's utter crap. To this day I still laugh at the propaganda circus of TANKS protecting London Heathrow from shoulder fired missiles. I went to LHR by tube that day to fly out. While the tanks rumbled about overhead - I saw not one single policemen in my journey from picadilly to the check in desk.
I first heard of this from Popular Mechanics or Popular Science. This system if already in play\close to it by military but there are weak points in the air over America. So instead of just standing guard which is a wast of money with equipment. The military decides to help out security point with civilian assistance. Besides civilians are most likey to get an attack before huge military equipment. This might get used one time but its better than another toppler. If I recall correctly. The military can see for 100+ miles and can easily detonate a threat. In fact; it communicates with assests then the system from bomber detonates threat. Way above the skyline and can easily be upgraded to fit certain criteria...
the point stands that anyone could have evaded the cordon of armoured vehicles and blown up the terminal just like that. but the tanks look good on telly don't they.
The more we spend on high profile gadgets (and therefore the more resources we allocate to people who make things that fly and go boom) the less we address real threats. The lowest tech is the most likely threat. Muhammad and Malvo could have shut down the air transport system for a week had they had that goal. All the chaff, flares, and lasers a plane could carry would do nothing to prevent it.
Absolutely. In the months after 9/11, police would stop trucks traveling into the area of manhattan below 96th Street for inspections. However, it soon became common knowledge that they wouldn't actually stop the really big trucks -- ie the ones that could really load up with explosives -- because of traffic concerns. All show and tell. About politics and politicians, not safety. This story, another yawner. Mods, why don't you tell Scarecrow to stop starting a new thread with every minor little nonsense cnn headline? Just a thought.
A show of force eases the fears for some people and may even scare the terrorists. In reality, if someone is willing to kill themself in order to kill others, then there is not that much anyone can do. The US had the national guard at the airports for months after 9/11. The show of force should be considered in order to keep those birds flying with people in the seats. Now, what I'd really like to see if a total shutdown where everything is checked before anyone gets within 2 miles of the airport. Yea, that will work great. Be sure to get to the airport one week before your departure time. You need to balance things here, right?
Actually I think you and others here have missed one point. With these systems put on civilian planes, I don't think the larger strategic means will be for protecting against anti-terrorism, but perhaps there is a larger military use for these systems. Perhaps this is really part of a larger ABM system. Thankfully CNN is there to let us know about this program unlike some new york rag paper.
No, it would be useless for that. It is a system that blinds heat-seeking missiles with a mild laser. Similar systems have already been used on military helicopters for quite a while now. It will do totally nothing against any other sort of missile.
Actually the article states nothing about it being for use against heat seeking missiles. It simply states that it will disrupt the guidance system on an incoming missile.
A laser would not disrupt the guidance system of any other kind of missile. The only shoulder fired missiles with anti-aircraft guidance that exist are heat-seeking. Ballistic missiles don't even have an external guidance system to disrupt because they all run on internal systems.
surely if you can't get on an internal flight safe in the knowledge that someone is not going to try and shoot the plane down then it is time to give up and go home