Plane missile defence under review
AAP
Plane missile defence under review
Airlines and the federal government are assessing defence systems to guard against potential missile attacks on planes, Prime Minister John Howard said.
Mr Howard said such defensive systems would be expensive and there was the need to balance that cost against the potential risk.
He said the country could go bankrupt covering every conceivable possibility.
"We are carrying out right at the moment yet a further review of aviation security issues," he said on Canberra ABC Radio.
"My understanding is that the airline (Qantas), obviously with the knowledge and consent and in discussion with the government, is looking at this decoy issue. I don't want to put it any more strongly than that.
"I am not a technician. My understanding is they have the effect of sending the missile off course so it doesn't hit you. Sounds a pretty good idea."
The danger of missile attack was highlighted in Kenya last year when terrorists tried unsuccessfully to shoot down an Israeli airliner.
Large numbers of shoulder launched missiles, referred to as MANPADS (man-portable air defence systems), are believed to be in terrorist hands.
Mr Howard said the issue of missile threat to Australian airliners was raised some weeks ago.
"I recall at the time there was a very mild expression of concern from Qantas that I should even raise the issue," he said.
"I would have to agree that on my understanding of the situation the threat of something like this is probably greater than the threat of hijacking. We have to keep it in proportion."
Mr Howard said it had been suggested the greatest risk of missile attack was in Bangkok where four of the 880 air movements handled each day were Qantas flights.
He said there always had to be a cost-benefit analysis.
"This applies to things like regional airports," he said.
"It applies to all sorts of things. We are trying within the bounds of reasonableness and commonsense to cover every base we can.
"But we do live in a more volatile world. We do live in a world where these things are threats we didn't dream of a few years but we have also got to get on with our lives and not become neurotic about it.
"Trying to achieve that balance is not always easy but we are endeavouring in a commonsense way to do so."
İAAP 2003
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