"Airline decoy devices under consideration"

Thursday, September 4, 2003
  
Airline decoy devices under consideration
Reuters


Australia's airlines are considering using decoy devices to protect them
from the threat of surface-to-air missiles.

Terrorism expert Clive Williams has said shoulder-launched missiles pose a
greater threat to Australia's civil aviation than hijackings, and he says
Bangkok airport is a particular risk.

Prime Minister John Howard says authorities are aware of the threat, but it
must be seen in perspective.

"I'm told this morning that there are 880 movements a day in and out of
Bangkok airport, of which four are Qantas flights," Mr Howard said.

"I'm also told that our airlines are investigating the deployment of these
decoy devices which are employed in a very limited way around the world, I'm
not saying we're going to employ them, but that is being investigated."

Andrew Tongue from the aviation security section of the Federal Transport
Department told a parliamentary inquiry on aviation security this morning
that the threat is being closely monitored.

"The...question is, does Al Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiah, their associates, have
the intent to get these weapons?" he said.

"And that's really a question for the intelligence agencies. And we're in
constant contact with ASIO, and they've been in contact with their
associates overseas dealing with that question."

Mr Tongue says the research is continuing into whether the missiles are
readily available.

"The US is doing a range of work in our region and we're in contact with
them. That goes to. are these weapons floating round, and if so, who might
have them?" he said.

"There is also a question that goes to capability about the training
necessary to use these weapons. The most recent recorded example of somebody
trying to use these weapons - they failed because they didn't use the weapon
properly, which is an indicator that training may not be as up-to-date as
some are predicting."

Attached Photo:

Devices considered to stop attacks from missiles similar to this Stinger
shoulder-fired model.

r7473_17285.jpg