Washington, August 13, 2003 - The threat of a shoulder-fired missile attack against a commercial aircraft is taken extremely seriously by both the United States government and the U.S. airline industry. As with all terrorist threats, the question of what constitutes the most effective and appropriate response requires balance, perspective and information.
Before embarking on the deployment of anti-missile defense systems, which are estimated to cost as much as $100 billion in tax-payer money, the Administration, is prudently advocating careful study of the effectiveness of this untested technology and the exploration of alternative solutions. The airline industry is fully supportive of this approach and is committed to working with the government to gain a complete understanding of the facts in order to facilitate an informed decision on this major national policy issue.
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