Senator Suggests Airline Safety Device Protection Against Missles

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is urging federal authorities to study whether U.S. passenger jets should be equipped with devices that would protect them against missiles like those that recently shot down a Malaysian Airlines flight over Ukraine and projectiles fired near Tel Aviv airport in Israel.

The New York Democrat is calling for a comprehensive interagency study by the Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department and Federal Aviation Administration.

He notes a federal study on the technology was done in 2004, but no action was taken.

According to Schumer, a Government Accountability Office suggests more than 500,000 portable surface-to-air missiles in existence worldwide, with a substantial number acquired by terrorists.

Portable missiles packaged in tube, the launching mechanism and battery can fit in a car trunk.