MANPAD counter measure costs outweigh benefits
WASHINGTON (CNN) - It would cost $11 billion to install anti-missile systems on the nation's 6,800 commercial airliners, and billions more to maintain the unproven systems, a study said Tuesday. According to the RAND study, the government should postpone a decision on installing the devices until they are more economical and reliable. The study said operating costs alone for the missile countermeasures would consume $2.1 billion a year -- almost half of the money spent annually on all transportation security.