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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!duke!unc!mcnc!ecsvax!rpk
From: rpk@ecsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: arming airliners
Message-ID: <1163@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Sep-83 00:41:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.1163
Posted: Wed Sep 14 00:41:46 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Sep-83 07:18:23 EDT
References: houca.391
Lines: 15

Actually,  arming commercial airplanes wouldn't be a bad idea.  I understand
that the military has  a few types of IR homing missles that they
would like to scrap so that they could buy the new improved versions.
These could be sold to the airlines (which would give them at least a fighting
chance of surviving USSR attacks).  Since many of these missles have never
been tested under combat conditions, arming airlines could provide valuable
feedback for the military on the missle's performance.

The only problem that I can see with this idea is that it would only be a
matter of time before the 'rate wars' now conducted on the ground with
advertisments would esculate into air-to-air combat amongst the various
airlines...   At least this would put the thrill back into cross-country air
travel.

-Dick (...decvax!duke!ecsvax!rpk)