Simviation Forums

uh.....dont know wht to say :-/
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Perimeter and air patrols are being beefed up at Los Angeles International as defense against possible shoulder-fired missile attacks on commercial aircraft, a top security official said.

Security officials are undergoing training specific for that threat, and additional helicopter patrols are being deployed, John Miller, head of the Los Angeles Police Department's counterterrorism bureau, told Airports Friday. While air patrols would not be able to counter a launched missile strike, they could give officials an important vantage point over the adjacent waterfront.

And, Miller added, if an attack were launched several miles away, an air patrol could trace the contrails back to the assailants.

"This is something terrorists are already trying," Miller said.

Miller noted that shoulder-fired missiles have been used against commercial flights in recent years, most recently against a cargo plane at Baghdad International. About 20,000 shoulder-fired missiles are on the black market, and no one knows how many could have been smuggled into the U.S., he said.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill recognize the threat and included a provision in the intelligence reform bill to press the President to use diplomacy to limit proliferation. They also called on FAA to expedite airworthiness certification for aircraft defense systems. President Bush signed the bill into law last week.

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kinda scary,
ashar

Beefhole, the simple fact is, there hasnt been anything major because no-one has tried. US airport security still has many holes, as demonstrated by the people riding a boat upto JFK and wandering the taxiways for quite a while, it was purely innocent in this case but had they been terrorists then you can imagine what could have happend. The same goes for the guy who left weapon like objects in the toilets of various southwest aircraft. The stories of people accidentally getting the banned objects onto planes. As for the stuff you dont hear about, i can assure you i have a very good idea whats going on, and i have heard many stories from my dad and cousin who both served/serve in the military that will never make it to the press. The US needs to stop trying to tell various international airports how to run security and perhaps ask those with much better experiance what they can do to improve US airport safety. EL AL is known to have the toughest security in the world for airports they need to follow their example, here in the UK we have been very strict on security for a long time. The US after 9/11 made some great strides in terminal security, but then they screwed it up big time by bringing in the TSA. Now they are giving airports the option of private companies again under the supervision of the government, this should help alot. As for the LAX problem, CCTV along the problem area with 24 hour surveilance, that will allow them to spot suspcious individuals, they can then send the airpatrol to the location to keep watch while ground police come to the area.

I'm all for security & vigilance but being a photographer myself I can just see some innocent cameraman with a long zoom lens being mistaken for a terrorist & possibly shot for taking photos of an aircraft. I think this is just another example of overkill (pun not intended) to fool the public that something is being done.

heat seeking missiles, that is even scarier,

EL AL is known to have the toughest security in the world for airports they need to follow their example.