NY Times Story About Missile Defense System for Airliners

[BruceAir]

Today's NY Times has an interesting article that updates the efforts to develop an anti-missile defense system for airliners.

 

[inav8r]

While arming an airliner with a missle defense system would help protect it against shoulder fired missles wouln't this also make it harder for fighter jets to shoot down hijacket airliners?

 

[fgcason]

We've been hearing about those being developed since the 1900's.

In the FL's or many thousands AGL is one thing. One tends to wonder how effective the anti missile contraption is against a shoulder launch missile from near directly underneath about the point where the gear doors clunk shut or on a 2 mile final all dirtied up. The essential 90 bank 9g pull just isn't going to happen. One can also wonder how many nondescript largish fedex next day delivery packages are verified safe before loading on a plane at every single P121 airport in the country.

Just another among the many reason cities should not surround airports...

Too many people just hate and can't get over it and have to drag everyone else into their self centered mentally diseased problems.

Sigh.

 

[poadeleted20]

While arming an airliner with a missle defense system would help protect it against shoulder fired missles wouln't this also make it harder for fighter jets to shoot down hijacket airliners?

Only if they're shooting Stingers, which aren't on any fighters in our inventory. The system might possibly, depending on depression angle and system design, have some effectiveness against an IR-guided AIM-9, but it would be worthless against an AMRAAM or a gun. However, since there are now 200 air marshals on every flight, the likelihood of a US-flag airliner ever again being hijacked is basically zero, so it's not a concern of mine.

 

[poadeleted20]

We've been hearing about those being developed since the 1900's.

Didn't know Orville and Wilbur were working this problem.

In the FL's or many thousands AGL is one thing.

At those altitudes, you're out of the envelope for MANPADS, so no countermeasure system is needed at that point.

One tends to wonder how effective the anti missile contraption is against a shoulder launch missile from near directly underneath about the point where the gear doors clunk shut or on a 2 mile final all dirtied up. The essential 90 bank 9g pull just isn't going to happen.

Maneuvers are not necessary with the latest and greatest systems, which essentially negate the IR seeker/guidance system. This isn't like the "chaff/flare and manuever" tactics used in earlier conflictes. These systems are designed for use on nonmaneuverable transport aircraft like C-17's.