British Airways Looking at Anti-Missile Systems [View All]

[Kellanved]

LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways Plc, Europe's biggest airline, said on Friday it was talking to aircraft manufacturers about high-tech measures to guard against surface-to-air missile attacks on its planes.

"Our security team has been talking to the manufacturers -- Boeing and Airbus -- about anti-missile technology," said a British Airways spokeswoman, adding that the talks were exploratory and no decisions had yet been made.
She said the talks began several months ago.

Israeli airliners are believed to carry anti-missile systems, but most of the more than 12,000 commercial planes flying worldwide have nothing to protect them from being downed by a shoulder-mounted missile.

Analysts say the main obstacle to putting anti-missile systems on commercial aircraft is the cost and that there are limits to how well airliners that fly slow and unarmed can be protected.

...
http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=3393952