Civilian air defense

A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded a contract for devices to protect commercial aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology  division today announced that teams led by BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman and United Airlines  have been selected for agreement negotiations.  The team will be expected to develop a plan  and test prototypes to help determine whether a viable technology exists that could be  deployed to address the potential threat that MAN-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS)  pose to commercial aircraft.

Despite the curious name, I have nothing funny to say about this.  Defense systems for commercial aircraft are a perfect example of where we should be investing in security technology.  The threat is significant, the timing is not too late and the problem should lend itself reasonably well to technological amelioration.

In parallel to looking for ways to defend from missile strikes, we should also be looking for ways to electronically revoke new weapons if they fall into the wrong hands.  MANPADS are particularly well suited for this approach because their effectiveness is closely tied to sophisticated targeting software.  If you fry the guidance system, the stinger turns into a bazooka.  It’s hard to hit a moving plane with a bazooka - even a 747.

Of course, “smart shutoff” functionality would only help us with new weapons manufactured by the U.S. or cooperative countries, but these are probably going to be the most dangerous weapons available and the least susceptible to defensive countermeasures after launch.  We all know how top of the line American hardware can get find its way to unwanted places from time to time.

Various attempts at electronic weapon revocation have been tried before, but I think recent advancements in technology warrant a new attempt.  I’d like to get some industry cooperation on this issue and see what can be done.