PRACTICAL APPLICATION

A FedEx MD-10 freighter, equipped with Northrop Grumman's Guardian infrared laser jammer, is slated to become the first wide-body commercial aircraft in scheduled service flying with technology to counter terrorist missile attacks.

Eventually, FedEx plans to fly 11 MD-10s with the directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) technology over the next 18 months, testing whether the equipment--developed for the military--is cost-effective and reliable for commercial aircraft operations.

It's the $109-million third phase of a Homeland Security Dept. study of the feasibility of equipping the U.S. commercial aircraft fleet with technology to thwart attacks by small missiles, known as man-portable air defense systems (Manpads).

Developed to protect military units from attacks by low-flying (up to 15,000-ft. altitude) aircraft, Manpads have been manufactured in more than 20 countries and are considered a serious threat to commercial aircraft--especially during takeoffs and landings. According to the U.S. State Dept., more than 40 commercial aircraft have been attacked by Manpads since the 1970s, resulting in the loss of about 400 lives.

Another team is also participating in Phase 3. BAE Systems, paired with American Airlines, is employing BAE's "JetEye," based on its advanced threat infrared countermeasures (ATIRCM) system used on U.S. Army aircraft. BAE has mounted JetEye on an American Airlines Boeing 767 and plans to install the technology, most of which is contained within the aircraft, on 767s flown by cargo carrier ABX Air. But how many aircraft will carry JetEye, and when they will fly, are still being considered, says Steve duMont, director of BAE's commercial aircraft program.

A recent Homeland Security report to Congress found the airborne laser jamming systems are effective against the missile threat. But the technology might be too costly or impractical for use by the still-struggling U.S. airline industry, the report concluded. The report estimates per-flight costs for a fleet of 1,000 equipped with the DIRCM technology to be $65 above the department's target of $300 per flight. Because both counter-Manpads teams are using electro-optical missile detection and laser-based technology first developed for the U.S. military, there are also arms-export and technology-transfer issues to be settled.

A Rand study last year estimated it would cost about $11 billion, using current technology, to protect every U.S. airliner from shoulder-fired missiles. Over 20 years, the cost to develop, procure and operate counter-Manpads systems could hit $40 billion, according to Rand. The airline industry is less than enthusiastic about the concept--and not just because of projected costs.

"The main issue is, 'Is this a prudent use of resources?' and from what we have seen, that question has not been answered," says John Meenan, executive vice president of the Air Transport Assn. Aircraft are also vulnerable to attacks from rocket-propelled grenades and .50-cal. weapons, he notes adding: "Isn't a surveillance program around airports better? Shouldn't we be doing more to go after the archer rather than trying to catch the arrows?"

Northrop Grumman's Guardian system features a 7.75-ft.-long pod, shaped like an upside down canoe, fitted to the belly of the MD-10. It contains a multi-band laser pointer/tracker and an ultraviolet missile warning sensor. They operate independently of the pilot in identifying a missile threat and then firing a burst from a laser that forces the attacking missile to "make a violent turn" away from the aircraft, says Jack Pledger, Northrop Grumman's business development director for IR countermeasures.