House bill addresses missile threat to airliners

House bill addresses missile threat to airliners    Three U.S. congressmen introduced a bill designed to minimize the threat to commercial aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles. The bill provides interim solutions while the government works to develop countermeasure systems to install on aircraft.
   The legislation encourages the president to redouble diplomatic efforts to stop the proliferation of the handheld anti-aircraft missile launchers and destroy excess, obsolete or illicit weapons found in military arsenals. Another provision calls on the Federal Aviation Administration to expedite their airworthiness certification process for missile defense systems and for the agency not to duplicate Department of Homeland Security research and development efforts.
   The sponsors of the bill — Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure aviation subcommittee; Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.; and Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y. — also included language requiring DHS to report to Congress within a year on the vulnerability of U.S. airports to missile attacks and what defenses are in place.