What is the realistic likelihood of your aircraft being targeted by a shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile (SAM) in the hands of a terrorist? After an Israeli charter airliner was unsuccessfully attacked by such weapons in Mombasa, Kenya, on November 28, the threat of man-portable air defense systems (manpads) has elevated concerns about terrorists shooting at airplanes. A media blitz raised the specter of Western airliners being blasted from the sky.
Some have proclaimed that 11/28 will have darker implications for the aviation industry than 9/11. Other security analysts believe the threat is overblown, pointing to what they consider more prominent concerns over possible attacks on infrastructure and the availability of nuclear and biological weapons of mass destruction. Meanwhile, corporate pilots have been huddling– comparing notes and experiences to assess their own vulnerability and what they can do to lower their profile as a potential target–both within the U.S. and in more remote areas of the world.
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