Cockpit caliber. (News Updates).(weapons for pilots)(Brief Article)

Do freighter pilots need guns to defend their aircraft? Unions representing crewmembers at FedEx and United Parcel Service think so and have joined the campaign to allow pilots to carry weapons as a last line of cockpit defense.

The U.S. House and the Senate have endorsed the idea, which was opposed by the Bush administration but has gained momentum as pilot groups and others have pressed for new security measures since the deadly September 11 terror hijackings. The pro-gun chorus grew louder when the National Rifle Association, one of the capital's most powerful lobbies, jumped in with what it calls "Operation Secure Blue" linking the cause of unfettered gun …