PILOTS: DISARM SHOULDER-MOUNTED MISSILE THREAT

Immediate Release
 

WASHINGTON - Shoulder-mounted missile launchers are a serious threat to U.S. commercial airliners, and the Department

 of Homeland Security should pursue defense systems that are available on the market, the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations said today. CAPA took issue with the findings of a recent Rand Corporation study claiming that protecting commercial airliners from shoulder-mounted missile attack is too expensive.

"Everyone realizes that these weapons are a legitimate threat in the post-9/11 world," said Capt. Jon Safley, president of CAPA. "We can't afford to ignore it. U.S. Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee last year called these weapons one of the greatest threats to commercial aviation."

Often referred to as MANPADS, or man-portable air defense systems, these missiles are widely available on the black market, often for as little as $5,000. An estimated 700,000 MANPADS have been manufactured by various countries over the past three decades. In November 2002, a similar device was fired at an Israeli charter jet as it took off from an airport in Kenya, with Al Qaeda claiming responsibility for the attack. In 2003, a missile damaged a DHL commercial jet near the Baghdad International Airport.

The Rand study declared that high costs make installing missile defenses onboard commercial aircraft impractical, but BAE Systems PLC and Northrop Grumman are flight-testing the systems this year under contract with the Department of Homeland Security. The estimated cost, according to Northrop Grumman: $1 million per plane, or a total of $6 billion, barely half Rand's estimate.

"This technology is within reach," says Safley, "and the expense of installing missile defense systems is minuscule in comparison to the price tags of modern commercial aircraft - not to mention the thousands of lives at risk. We urge the DHS to budget this crucial investment."

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
President Jon Safley
202-756-2956