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."

FMI: www.taser.com