El Al to test anti-missiles system on planes

Jerusalem Post ^ | Apr. 22, 2004 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[yonif]

El Al Israel Airlines is to begin testing a system to guard its aircraft against missiles, a government official said Thursday, 19 months after an Israeli civilian jet narrowly escaped being shot down by two shoulder-fired missiles in Kenya.

El Al has long had one of the most intensive security systems in international aviation, but the Kenya attack - against an Israeli Arkia charter jet - underscored the need to protect its aircraft from missiles.

Israeli experts said the attack failed because the missiles were old and inaccurate, and not - as had been speculated at the time - because an on-board system of decoy flares deflected them.

Transport Ministry spokesman Avner Ovadiah said a new anti-missile system would be installed on one El Al aircraft in June, with tests lasting two to three months. If the tests are successful, he said, the system would be installed on all 30 El Al aircraft.

The Israeli system, called "Flight Guard," was developed by Israel Aircraft Industries. Costing US$750,000 per unit, it responds automatically to an approaching heat-seeking missile, firing flares to divert the missile away from the aircraft.

"Flight Guard" has been used on Israeli military aircraft for a decade.

[yonif]

Excellent. Israel again proves it is at the top when it comes to counter-terror, expecially during flight. El Al is the safest airline in the world, employing racial profiling, tough background checks of everyone, placement of undercover Israeli security guards on all its flights, tough questioning by El Al officials, top of the line bomb detection, and has the flying of its aircraft by former Israeli air force pilots.

In addition, one could say the ticketing area of El Al is safer then the cabins of many airlines (as they have undercover armed guards at their ticket counters; remember LAX?)

In a few years, this will be the radio message from an Israeli pilot:

"Ladies and Gentlemen we are approaching our landing at Ben Gurion airport, but before hand we will direct ourselves to target opportunities in Beirut and from there to a targeted killing in Gaza."

[yonif]

German military vehicle guarding a parked El Al plane. El Al Planes around the world have host country military and its own security on the ground watching at all times. In addition, like in the case of this German airport, these vehicles escort the El Al plane up the runway.