Congressmen say airliners need missile defenses

THe Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- The government should pay to equip at least some commercial airliners with anti-missile devices, two House members said Thursday.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House aviation subcommittee, said he'll try to push a measure through Congress within 90 days to pay for research and development and for outfitting some planes with technology to thwart a missile attack.

Mica's remarks came immediately after he chaired a closed hearing with counterterrorism experts to discuss the threat posed by shoulder-fired missiles.

\Among those who testified were Rodney Ratledge, Defense Intelligence Agency analyst, and Eric Arnett, Central Intelligence Agency analyst, transportation officials and the Israeli ambassador. Representatives from defense contractors Raytheon and Northrop Grumman also spoke.

"I came in somewhat skeptical," Mica said. "What we saw was pretty sobering."

Major airlines are struggling financially -- two of the biggest are in bankruptcy -- and say they can't afford the added costs of new security measures. Mica and Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, the subcommittee's ranking Democrat, said the government should pay for the anti-missile devices as a matter of national defense.

The threat posed to commercial planes was driven home in November when terrorists fired two SA-7 missiles that narrowly missed an Israeli passenger jet after it took off from Mombasa, Kenya. Officials concluded that al-Qaida probably was behind the attack, which coincided with a bomb blast at a nearby hotel.

Hundreds and perhaps thousands of Soviet-style SA-7s -- heat-seeking rockets that can hit low-flying aircraft within 3 miles -- are said to be available on the worldwide arms market. Thousands are in the hands of as many as 27 guerrilla and terrorist groups, according to Jane's Intelligence Review.

DeFazio said older missile launchers can be bought for as little as several thousand dollars. He's more concerned, though, about the proliferation of newer, more accurate models.

DeFazio said diplomatic action ought to be taken to urge more restraint by the Chinese, who he said are a major supplier.

Though no specific threats involving the portable missiles have been identified, there is concern that such weapons could be smuggled into the United States and used against aircraft.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., filed a bill earlier this year to require on-board missile defense systems on all 6,800 planes in the U.S. commercial fleet. Boxer testified the bill would cost as much as $10 billion.

DeFazio, though, said the government could equip some planes with the devices and some with dummies. Representatives from private industry said planes could be outfitted in a matter of months, Mica said. He wouldn't estimate the cost because it would indicate how many countermeasures would be deployed.

There are several kinds of defense systems that divert or confuse the missile: small decoy flares, infrared jammer devices, high-powered lasers, chaff or packets of heated foil and towed decoy targets. Mica wouldn't say which technology he preferred.

After the attack in Kenya, the White House formed a task force to recommend ways to counter the threat of portable missile launchers.

Transportation Security Administration chief James Loy told the committee the United Stats is working to limit trafficking in the devices and to destroy the older, less-effective models. TSA sent interagency teams to 22 airports to assess their vulnerability and find ways to reduce the risk of a missile attack, he said.

Loy said TSA is also sending training materials and guidelines to airport officials on identifying and reporting the threats.

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