Lire l'article original
French Firm Develops Flight Bomb Prevention Kit
By thisdayonline.com, 04/11/2002


Inspired by the "shoe bomber" and a string of lethal bomb attacks, a French firm has developed a bomb prevention kit that airline crews could deploy in seconds to stop a grenade or other explosive from downing a plane.
Sema, a small Paris-based company that has specialized in bullet-proof vests and devices to counter Anthrax mail, is about to launch production of two "bomb-bag" kits, one for in-flight use and the other for public places on the ground.

The airline kit, called a "Flight Bomb Killer" or FBK, could be wrapped around an explosive in about five seconds, sealing the device hermetically and containing the explosion when it occurs, said Charles Laubie, managing director of Sema.

"People we've talked to have all said, 'Why didn't you think of this before, it's so simple,"' Laubie told Reuters, adding that potential customers from France, Europe and the Middle East had expressed interest in the inventions.

"First there was September 11, then there was anthrax and then there was the Paris-Miami flight last December," he said, referring to the case in which Briton Richard Reid is accused of trying to blow up a plane using explosives hidden in his shoes.

Reid allegedly tried to light explosives in his shoes with a match but was overpowered by air stewards and some of the 197 passengers on the plane which landed safely in Boston.

Sema has developed a second kit, the "Ground Bomb Killer" or GBK, which could be used by security staff in a range of public places. It requires no training because it can simply be thrown over a suspect device to contain an explosion, Laubie said.

"The FBK would require some training but the GBK needs none at all," said Laubie.

Theme parks have already placed orders, he said, but declined to elaborate further on potential clients.

Both bag-like products are made of ultra-strong materials capable of containing an explosion in the air of a fragmentation grenade or an explosive charge "of at least the size in the Paris-Miami case," Laubie said.

The GBK could handle even bigger bombs, he said.

The FBK, whose measurements allow for rapid deployment in the aisle between aircraft seats, will carry a price tag of $15,000 to $20,000. The GBK, which will come in four sizes, will be sold at $1,500 to $5,200, he said.

Both are expected to be available for sale next month.

Laubie said the potential market was big, considering the number of recent bomb attacks in countries ranging from Finland to the Philippines.

  Lire l'article original
  << retour  
Click here to be informed
Accueil | Balistique | Chimique | Anti-bombe | Société | Communication | Contacter nous | Demande d'informations
Mentions légales | Privacy | Design par Carturis©