Intercepts and Shootdowns
innocent people on board in a armed air marshals on some flights concerns of mid-air explosions caused
very short time, and; (although, according to some accounts, by the firing of a weapon on board
• having regard to all of the this is estimated to be only around 3% being expressed.
circumstances, the loss of of all flights out of the Washington D.C USAF pilots and ground air defence
life which will result from the area), allowing specially trained pilots operators who are trained to shoot
shooting down of the aircraft to carry guns on board (Federal Flight down civilian craft are specially
is not disproportionate to Deck Officers) and generally upgrading screened, the USAF reported in 2003.
the consequences which are its airport security, the US has been General Ralph Eberhart said that such
expected from not doing so. training fighter pilots to shoot down personnel were being specially trained
Only Ministers – not civilian or hijacked civilian aircraft. The issue to overcome a natural hesitation to
military officials – can give the ultimate of commercial pilots being armed on kill unarmed civilians and to ensure
order for such action. The committee boa
15112 Informa Aviation Security Ad_ASI P10M07 20/11/09 2:57 PM Page 1
rd has been controversial, with they would not refuse an order to
also said that it does not believe the
use of ground-based missiles against
civilian aircraft can be justified, nor are
an effective deterrent.
When asked to comment to the
press on this matter, the Department
of Transport said the government does 5th Annual
not comment on operational matters
related to security. Chris Yates, a
Airport & Aviation
specialist in aviation security at Jane’s
Airport Review said it is widely believed
that Britain would shoot down a
Security Summit
hijacked airliner if necessary.
2010
United States
On 11 September 2001, an emergency
9-10 March 2010 | Amora Jamison Sydney
order to shoot down hijacked craft
was received by the military from then Speakers
Vice President Dick Cheney – just after
Paul Retter, Executive Director Office of
the last plane to crash, flight United
Transport Security, Department of
93, was brought down by passengers
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional
Development and Local Government
in a field in Pennsylvania. This was
Paul Tyrrell, Chief Executive Officer,
reported in 2004 by the 9/11 senate
Regional Aviation Association of Australia
commission in evidence from General
Deputy Director General,
Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
Chiefs of Staff. He reported that Malcolm Nance, Director,
as there was no precedent for the
International Anti-Terrorism Center for
Excellence at Hudson, New York
attacks and no protocol in place, what
Philip Baum, Managing Director, Green Light Ltd,
resulted was an improvised response
Editor, Aviation Security International, UK
by a myriad of agencies on the day.
Mark Everitt, General Manager (Chief Executive),
The commission put forward that a
Aviation Security Service of New Zealand
better co-ordinated response by the Geoff Askew, Principal, Askew & Associates
North American Aerospace Defence Dr Nick Cutmore, Theme Leader, Instrument Systems,
Command (NORAD) might have led to
CSIRO
one of the jets being shot down before
Prof. Prasad K.D.V. Yarlagadda, Director Smart Systems
Research Theme, Queensland University of Technology
hitting their target.
In the post-9/11 years, the US has Media partners
taken several steps to prevent a repeat
scenario. Laws have been strengthened
to allow the military to engage in such
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intervention, which could come only
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President, or in circumstances where
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time did not permit this, a two star
www.informa.com.au/aviationsecurity/asi
military commander. In addition to Researched and developed by:
fortifying flight deck doors, employing
December 2009 Aviationsecurityinternational www.asi-mag.com 13
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