Intercepts &
Shoot Downs:
an international policy overview
An intercept training excercise near the Falkland Islands in 2005 (Credit: Air Atlanta Icelandic)
For many years, well pre-dating 9/11, it has been the standard procedure in
many countries to scramble fighter jets to trail and intercept aircraft suspected
of having been hijacked. Post-9/11, in an era in which the use of a commercial
airliner as a weapon of mass destruction is a distinct possibility, governments
have been forced to consider the unthinkable – shooting down an aircraft,
killing innocent passengers in the process, in an attempt to prevent greater
loss of life should those at the controls be intent on targeting a city centre or
critical infrastructure installation. Anna Costin reviews some of the outcomes
of the deliberations.
W
hen discussing interception in progress or whether some other 67 routine interceptions of suspected
and shoot down policies, it incident has occurred (as undertaken hijacked craft took place, all of which
is important to understand by the Greek air force in 2005 when were purely investigatory and found
that these are not interchangeable the crew and passengers of a Cypriot that none had actually been hijacked.
terms; they are two distinct courses of Helios plane had all succumbed to The focus of this article is on policies
military intervention. oxygen deprivation after a fall in cabin and criteria for shooting down hijacked
Interception refers to such measures pressure leading to unconsciousness or suspected hijacked civilian airliners
as investigating why an aircraft is not and its eventual crash) and attempting believed to have hostile intent i.e. as
responding to air traffic control, not a rescue if possible; forcing an aircraft in 9/11, where they are to be used
identifying itself and/or is off course; onto a particular course; and forcing it as a weapon and killing all those on
identifying flight deck activity to to land at the nearest suitable point. In board in so doing. Shoot downs can
ascertain whether a hijack is actually the US in the year leading up to 9/11, be brought about either by fighter jets
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www.asi-mag.com December 2009 Aviationsecurityinternational
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