Tue, Nov 09, 2004
Stun Guns Approved On Korean Airlines Flights In US
Scottsdale (AZ)-based Taser International says it's received
approval from the Department of Homeland Security to put its energy
weapons on board Korean Air flights operating in US airspace. The
guns will be available to "specially trained personnel," according
to Taser President Tom Smith, who called the government approval an
"exciting new opportunity."
"I've got a handful of airlines who are interested," Smith told
Bloomberg News. "No one wanted to be the first, but now that this
airline has received approval, others may try. United bought 1,300
Tasers and trained pilots, but they had to focus on managing the
airline to stay out of bankruptcy before they got approval."
Still, Smith says, there are almost 18,000 civil passenger
aircraft in the world and his product would seem ideally suited to
dealing with in-flight emergencies.
Unlike handguns, Tasers don't fire
bullets -- which can, of course, puncture the hull of an aircraft
in flight, leading to catastrophic decompression and perhaps even
loss of control of the aircraft itself. Instead, the weapon fires
darts into a suspect's body. The darts are attached to wires
leading back to the Taser weapon. The wires carry an electrical
current from the weapon to the body of the suspect, causing instant
paralysis. Smith claims his weapons are effective no matter where
the darts enter the body.
Domestic airlines use federal air marshals, armed with handguns,
as a deterrent to hijackers and 9/11-style terrorists. Smith says
he's not interested in that market.
"We have not had any conversations with the US Marshals although
we certainly will try," he told Bloomberg. "We do not intend for
this to be a substitute. It's another layer of protection in the
air."
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