Only with Israeli ingenuity can you take a technology that was once reserved only for video games and make it functional in the real world. The news that Israel has launched the anti-hijacking pilot ID system developed by Elbit Systems(NASDAQ:ESLT) is good not just for the company, but for air travel as well.
Starting next year, Israel will require pilots who fly to its airports to use the Security Code System (SCS), a local invention designed to ensure planes that have been commandeered for al Qaeda-style attacks are spotted in time. Israel plans a trial run for the system, using a credit card-sized keypad, next month, in cooperation with five airlines from the United States, Europe and Africa. About 10,000 of the units will ultimately be issued, with Israel bearing the cost. Pilots who fail the authentication test when they approach Israeli airspace will be denied entry. Should a plane go ahead, ignoring further warnings, Israel will consider it hostile and scramble fighter planes for an interception. In the worst case, that could mean an aircraft is shot down.
Several experts familiar with Israeli methodology say the system -- also known as "Code Positive" -- is based on the assumption that a hijacking will take place in one of two ways. Hijackers could either kill the pilots and take control -- as is believed to have been the case in the September 11 attacks on the United States. Or they could force pilots to issue a compliant response to the system in the hope of buying enough time to reach Israel and crash the planes into a target on the ground. In the first case, the hijackers would fail the security check as they entered Israeli airspace, giving military authorities about 15 minutes to launch a response. In the second, Dani Shenar, chief of security for Israel's Transportation Ministry said, pilots would be expected to relay a "May Day" alert.
Let's all hope that this system is never put to use, but in the event of a hijacking, this Israel system could save hundreds of lives.
Aaron Katsman is the lead Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. and Senior Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com. Author holds a position in ESLT as of 11/21/07.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-22-2007 @ 8:35AM
James Roop said...
When the story says Israel will bear most of the cost it's really the US, we support Israel.
Israel is bankrupt without US taxpayers and our military.
11-22-2007 @ 10:26AM
jaeger5982 said...
You are an idiot. Actually, where would the US be if not for Israel??? And have you made a complete list of US contributions to the middle east? What about the billions for the Arab countries, not to mention what we pay them for oil.
Your view of the situation is pathetic. Obviiously, you are an genuine idiot.
11-22-2007 @ 11:34AM
Smoothie said...
The United States should wholeheartedly support Israel. They are our friends. Let us hold back funding for other countries (socialist communist)especially those who do not agree with us. They would be bankrupt in less than 24 hrs and would be on the warpath with each other!
11-22-2007 @ 2:52PM
Abe Bird said...
To Mr. "James Roop":
Please stop your Anti Israel ProPalganda! Enough with the weak claims that Israel "drinks" US money as a poor parasite! The story is quite different, both countries helped each other for decades, each one by hers virtue. Not only "Green Money" included, but lot of "Equal to Money" too, and Israel shares / shared those "equals" with the US for decades.
Israel and the US are pooling their scientific and technologic brainpower to find and develop new technologies, new designed electronics for industry and weaponry, searching together for alternative energy sources under a bill passed by the House and now wending its way through the Senate.The US-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has a lot of work to do, and little Israel puts the same amount of money as the great US. At the same time Israel professionals are devoting to the projects in the partnership no less than the US professionals.
Western Europe, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan got each one of them hundreds of times more aid and support than Israel through its 60 years (the military systematic aid started only in 67').
Israel gave the US a lot of products and know-how that can be measured economically. I'm sure when one as you checking the balance between both you neglect to mention some huge Israeli contribution to the US:
A. Military know-how and technologies. High sophisticated electronic devices, missiles, radars, avionics, ammunition, personal military equipment etc.
B. Intelligence – as long as the USSR existed, Israel was the only source of reliable intelligence, mainly technical intelligence, about the "second world" military, economy enterprises. It is very important for the information's receiver – aka, for the US, to match its new equipments, armament, tactics and policy against the real threats developed by the enemy and at the same time to shorten the decision's making process in order to shorten the time until being ready militarily to counter the threat. All those complicated activity and technically inventions cost lot of money, which Israel expended from her own economic resources. This kind of partnership is yet existing but not only facing the Russia threat alone but against Islamic extreme groups and countries that give them a shelter.
Israel national economy is one of the more stable national economies. Israel is well developed country which its economy grows well and fast for the last years although the Intifada. Israel is highly educated and professional and most of the outsiders don't really know Israel for real.
Israel has long been on the cutting edge of research and development in advanced technologies. A country of very limited natural and financial resources, as yet not at peace with some of its neighbors, Israel's scientists and engineers have been constantly faced with the challenge of quickly devising new and innovative solutions, such as drip irrigation (in response to the country's limited water resources) or the Merkava tank / "Arrow" missiles (as part of a wider effort to develop a home-grown defense industry). History and geography have made Israelis adept at identifying problems, finding solutions, and shortening the development process to turn them into commercial products.
Over the last decade, Israel's R&D prowess has rapidly expanded out of the military sphere, the universities and research institutes, where it was originally concentrated, to create what is widely acknowledged as a model high technology economy. Israel is second only to the United States on a per capita basis in its ability to generate new, technology-based companies with innovative, market-focused products.
It is the very strategic interest of the US to keep close relations with Israel as a huge source of scientific and technology knowledge and political advantages. Without Israel the stance of the US against the Islamic and the ME oil states would have been weaker. Israel support for the US is many times greater than the difference of their size.
See more:
http://www.newsoftheday.com/
http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enPage=HomePage
http://hir.harvard.edu/articles/1492/