Airline protection advances in House

A House subcommittee yesterday approved a bill intended to protect airliners and airports from shoulder-fired missile attacks.

The bill would require the Federal Aviation Administration to speed up certification of antimissile systems. It also encourages the president to use diplomatic action to reduce the prevalence of shoulder-fired missiles on the international black market.

Even while the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on aviation was approving the legislation, its chairman, Rep. John L. Mica, Florida Republican, said the cost was an obstacle.

“The cost and complication associated with installing these systems on commercial aircraft could be staggering and also time-consuming,” Mr. Mica said.

The computerized systems detect heat from missiles and eject flares or aim infrared lights into their path to divert them away from the aircraft. The systems for commercial airliners could be modified from military equipment.

U.S. airlines say the government should pay for the systems if it requires them to be installed on aircraft.

“Airline security is national security,” said Doug Wills, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, a trade group for major airlines.

The group estimates the cost of installing antimissile systems on all 6,800 commercial U.S. aircraft at $50 billion to $100 billion over 20 years.

In addition, questions linger about the effectiveness of the systems.

“There’s absolutely no science behind what’s been proposed,” Mr. Wills said. “They’re not 100 percent effective even on military jets.”

Antimissile systems work through a combination of high-tech deflection devices and the maneuverability of military aircraft, he said. Commercial airliners lack the same maneuverability.

“Military jets, compared to a commercial airliner, are little hot rods,” said John Mazor, spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association, the nation’s largest pilots union.

Shoulder-fired missiles employ baseball bat-sized rockets and warheads from portable canisters that can be hidden in suitcases or trunks of cars. They can ascend two miles. The Stinger shoulder-fired missile used by the U.S. Army is made by Hughes Missile System Co., General Dynamics Corp. and Raytheon Co.

The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, estimates more than 800,000 shoulder-fired missiles exist worldwide, with 27 terrorist groups known to possess them. Each “man-portable air defense system,” or rocket plus its launcher, typically costs $25,000 to $80,000.

Israel plans to install antimissile systems on each of its 30 El Al airliners beginning in June.

Two years ago, al Qaeda terrorists claimed responsibility for trying to shoot down an Israeli airliner with shoulder-fired missiles in Mombasa, Kenya. The missiles narrowly missed the plane.

At least three companies are competing for a Homeland Security Department contract to build a U.S. antimissile system for airliners. They include Northrop Grumman Corp., BAE Systems and Avisys Inc. A winning bid is scheduled to be chosen this summer.

The bill proposed by the aviation subcommittee, H.R. 4056, would require the Homeland Security Department to update Congress within one year on its progress in protecting commercial aircraft from missiles.