Newsstand - Alliant and UAL to bid on aircraft defense systems




NickP 1K
Nov 18, 03, 12:10 am
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-airarms12nov12,1,47167.story?coll=la-headlines-business

(sorry I know it's reg required)...

Great system... but what in the hell makes the TSA think terrorists will even use precision guided weapons...??? A simple unguided shoulder fired missle fired at the right time on a departure or approach end of an airport will make this system useless.


---------------------------------------

Clipped some of it here:

UAL, Alliant to Jointly Bid for Airliner Defense System Contract

From Bloomberg News

Alliant Techsystems Inc. said Tuesday that it was teaming with UAL Corp.'s United Airlines to compete for a contract to equip U.S. commercial aircraft with missile defense systems.

Bids must be submitted by Dec. 8 to the Homeland Security Department, which will move quickly to award a contract to begin supplying the devices to commercial airlines, said Brian Roehrkasse, a department spokesman.

An Alliant defense system is in use on 1,100 U.S. military aircraft, company spokesman Bryce Hallowell said.

The Homeland Security Department plans to spend $100 million in the next two years to protect jetliners against the threat of shoulder-fired missiles. It would cost billions of dollars to equip the fleet of about 6,800 U.S. commercial jets at a cost of as much as $1 million a plane.

Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co. and BAE Systems also are competing for the contract.

Edina, Minn.-based Alliant's partnership with Chicago-based United Airlines is the first to involve a major U.S. air carrier in the competition, Hallowell said. No United representative was available for comment.

Shares of Alliant rose 9 cents to $51.90 on the New York Stock Exchange. UAL is undergoing a reorganization under Bankruptcy Court protection.

Alliant's missile defense system is in use on aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules military transport.


richard
Nov 18, 03, 8:31 am
It's wonderful how focused UAL is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

studentff
Nov 18, 03, 11:17 am
What a sad waste of funds at our bankrupt airline on a feel-good security measure that won't do one ounce of good against a determined terrorist.

Equipping 15-year-old 737s for IND-DEN flights with top-of-the-line anti-missile technology makes about as much sense as taking away knitting needles.


xyzzy
Nov 18, 03, 1:49 pm
Hey -- you could at least use the knitting needle to poke and wake up a FAM http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif



SEO by vBSEO 3.2.0