NYT: U.S. Set to Test Missile Defenses Aboard Airlines

[Dudley_DUright]

In an airplane hangar north of Fort Worth, technicians are preparing to mount a fire-hydrant-shaped device onto the belly of an American Airlines Boeing 767. It is an effort that could soon turn into a more than $10 billion project to install a high-tech missile defense system on the nation's commercial planes.

The Boeing 767 - the same type of plane that terrorists flew into the World Trade Center - is one of three planes that, by the end of this year, will be used to test the infrared laser-based systems designed to find and disable shoulder-fired missiles. The missiles have long been popular among terrorists and rebel groups in war zones around the world; the concern now is that they could become a domestic threat.

<snip>

"We are long overdue for a passenger aircraft to be taken down by a shoulder-launched missile," said Representative John L. Mica, Republican of Florida, who is pushing for the systems to be installed. "We have been extremely, extremely lucky."

<snip>

"This is one of the greatest dangers we face in the air," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, who has helped lead the push in the Senate for the deployment of missile defense systems.

This is a very very rare case where I actually agree with a our local republican congressman, John Mica.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/29/national/29missiles.html?ex=1275019200&en=912a2477bd1a007f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

[ElectroPrincess]

1. Nothing better than to frighten the American sheeple with needless

B.S. fear alert since they've been outed with the color codes.

Perhaps arming the planes that fly into Bagdad, etc., then yeah, it's a grand idea. But continental USA commercial aircraft? These bozos must be smoking some good DOPE. :P

What next after advisement to duct taping the windows for us average Americans? Is BushCo going to advise us to strap a grenade launcher aside our rear view mirrors of our vehicles?

Yeah, there's a terrorist under every piece of furniture. Boo!

On Edit: Senator Charles E. Schumer "went right-wing" on this issue.

[Dudley_DUright]

3. I would rather we spend some money here

than wasting immense amounts in Iraq. Of course, I am only in favor of deployment if it actually works, unlike the "star wars" missile defense system.

[peacetalksforall]

7. So an independent study by a non-profit corporation believes the threat

to aircraft lies more with tarmac threats from service trucks and luggage bombs. Obviously, there isn't enough profit in that type of defense and precaution. No, Northrup and BAE need to share in some of the kinds of profits that Halliburton is taking in.

Schumer is a grand disappointment. I'll zip my words on him for now.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. "We are long overdue..."

:WTF:

That sounds like something you WANT!

[bvar22]

4. Even if it works, not worth the price.

How many Americans will die from a missle attack on an 767 in the next 10 years???

How many will die from:
*AIDS

*Cancer

*Alcohol

*No access to HealthCare

$10 Billion Dollars could fund Universal healthCare for EVERY American.

This is YOUR MONEY going into the Pockets of bush* friends in the ARMAMENTS industry!!!!

[Tiberius]

6. Good analysis

I agree with you but a shoulder-fired missile attack would have a pretty devastating effect on the airline industry.

Even taking that into account, the money is probably better spent elsewhere.

[babylonsister]

5. Yep, that's the ticket. This would be a

good way to bankrupt all the airlines.:eyes: And I wonder what nice, big, repug company might get the contract?

[peacetalksforall]

8. I can't wait for the 9-11 experts to check-in. Does a missile defense

imply launching missiles. Haven't we already strapped a missile on airplanes? Such as on 9-11 - on three occassions. Or four?

[Dudley_DUright]

10. No, this defense involves using Infra-red lasers

to overwhelm the heat seeking detectors on the shoulder fired missiles so that they miss the target. The technology is already used on military planes (and air force one I might add).

Here is a good explanatory article in Slate:

http://slate.msn.com/id/2087001/

[Merlin]

9. This is the follow-on to the project that downed Flight 800.

That project involved testing of an unmanned drone, which was to act like a S-A-M, in Long Island Sound as part of DOD's experimental program vs. "littoral" warfare, the term for warfare conducted from the water's edge by terrorists using fishing and pleasure ships to launch cruise missiles.

In the flight 800 case, the anti-missile missile, fired from a navy ship, under control from Norfolk, went astray and attacked flight 800 rather than the original SAM.

This is a well documented, well proven theory written by a courageous American who paid with his freedom for defying the official government cover-up.

The Downing of TWA Flight 800 by James Sanders was bought up by the FBI. An APB was put out for Sanders arrest on bogus charges the day before public hearings on the matter began in Baltimore.

Sanders wrote:

The night of the tragedy, the Navy sent out an unclassified message to the FAA indicating that it would be using certain areas off the coast of Long Island for tests of FACSFAC. That document is enclosed. A P-3 Orion was overhead. A “cruise missile” drone was launched at 8:30 p.m., July 17, 1996 by an Army unit that had been set up east of Riverhead, LI. The P-3 quickly detected the simulated attack, and one of the cruisers launched an un-armed Standard missile (evidently from off the Virginia coast). At that point the radar jamming knocked out the P3’s ability to track the drone. The Standard missile somehow got re-targeted on TWA 800 eleven minutes into its flight from JFK to Paris. It hit the 747 at its center of heat pattern, just in front of the right wing, tearing through the fuselage, exiting just in front of the left wing, sucking people and things out with it. The pattern of where the debris landed matches this scenario perfectly. Eight seconds later, there was a small explosion and fire in the nearly empty center fuel tank. Shortly after, the front of the fuselage, including the cockpit, broke off and fell to the sea. The stub and wings kept flying, keeling over until its left wing was pointing to the ground. The fuel tank fire was burning upward, igniting the right wing fuel tank in a major explosion that brought down what was left.