Drones could defend airports

[JohnR]

First I hoped they meant androids would be screening our baggage, but the headline did refer to drone aircraft after all.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-03-22-unmanned-drones_N.htm

"drones flying 65,000 feet above the nation's busiest airports could be used to protect planes from being shot down by terrorists with shoulder-fired missiles."

Ok, 65,000' won't bother anyone, but they have to climb and descend through "our" altitudes.

The drones... ...would be possibly outfitted with... ...anti-missile lasers that could send plane-bound [shoulder-launched] missiles veering off course

What if the laser misses, and hits a school yard on the ground?

What if it hits the missile, making it veer off course till it runs out of fuel and lands in a school yard?

The tests follow four years of research on anti-missile laser systems that could be mounted on the bellies of planes for $1 million or more per plane [i.e. airliners] Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., says the government should share the cost of installation and maintenance of the more expensive systems with the airline industry.

We know what that means.

 

[jesse]

Stupid.

 

[Frank Browne]

Stupid indeed. I can think of several other countries we could fly somrthing like that over instead.

 

[Steve]

Belly mounted anti-missile laser system

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/aw091806p3.xml

That would just about use up the available payload on the IAR...

 

[JohnR]

Maybe, but you'll appreciate it flying into Sun N Fun, with all the boneheads who refuse to fly nose-to-tail at the proper altitude.

Gotta love the name: "Manpad".

 

[ReverendSlappy]

Stupid.

When the name of the project comes from a fictional character on a TV show, you know it probably ain't gonna be too bright an idea.