LOS ANGELES -Outfitting every U.S. commercial passenger plane with anti-missile systems would be a costly and impractical defense against terrorists armed with shoulder-fired rockets, according to a study released yesterday.
Researchers said it could cost nearly $40 billion over 20 years to deploy defense technology on the country's 6,800 passengers jets. By comparison, the federal government currently spends roughly $4.4 billion a year on all transportation security.
The study by California-based Rand Corp. also found the devices were not yet reliable enough for commercial aviation because of false alarms that could distract authorities and create a safety hazard.
Given what we spend today
a large investment in technology still unproven in commercial airlines doesn't appear appropriate said Rand engineer and lead researcher James Chow.
The report echoed the concerns of government officials over adapting the technology to America's commercial fleet, said Penrose Albright, assistant secretary for Homeland Security.
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