US Moves Forward on Anti-Missile System for Planes

[Nottingham]

US Moves Forward on Anti-Missile System for Planes
Thu September 18, 2003 04:56 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government, seeking to meet the threat posed to airliners by shoulder-fired missiles, said on Thursday it had asked companies to help adapt military anti-missile technology for use on passenger jets.
The Department of Homeland Security said its science and technology division was in the first phase of a two-step process to work on adapting existing military technology for use on commercial planes and to establish a prototype of that anti-missile system.

In a "pre-solicitation notice" issued this week the division outlined its strategy for air protection and said it would hold a briefing for the industry the week of Oct. 6 to discuss plans to outfit the commercial fleet with anti-missile systems. It will then set a date to accept contract bids.
"The contract will give us an opportunity to determine if in fact a viable and cost effective technology exists that could be deployed on commercial aircraft," said Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.

The $100 million research and development phase for the anti-missile system was expected to take about a year and a half and start by late autumn, officials said.
The first phase of the project includes analysis of the economic, manufacturing and maintenance issues needed to support a system that will be effective on commercial planes.

Government and other estimates for equipping the U.S. commercial airliner fleet vary from $10 billion to nearly $100 billion, depending on the technology used.


more...

Here is more Big contracts to Homeland Security

[leftyandproud]

1. I have no problem with this..

I DO have a problem with them doing a national defense...which would be provocative...this is simply protecting the lives of passengers. If people can smuggle in tons of cocaine, they could easily smuggle in few shoulder-launched missles.

[Mackay]

2. This will work about as well as my transportation machine...

complete BS... anti-missile, missiles just don't work.

One day we're going to have to stop living in fear and start understanding and negotiating with other cultures. Sci-fi technology won't save us.

[bahrbearian]

4. We must solve the Aliment not cure the Symptoms.....

[Resistance Is Futile]

6. Antimissile technologies

It's extremely unlikely they're looking at an active system to destroy missiles by shooting them down. It would cost far too much as it would be a from-scratch development. Rather, they're probably looking at adapting existing military jammers and decoys for use on civilian aircraft. These systems do work but making largely autonomous versions that can defend airliners flown by pilots without missile evasion training will not be easy or cheap.

[hang a left]

3. wonder who got the contract?

[Nottingham]

5. Now thats the Question isn't! Who gets the contract?

:bounce: