Test [passenger] airplane given go-ahead [testing anti-SAM technoology]

Valley Press on ^ | Monday, October 29, 2007 | JIM SKEEN

[BenLurkin]

MOJAVE - A system designed to protect passenger aircraft from portable missiles is proving successful in operation testing, according to Northrop Grumman Corp. The system, called Guardian, has logged more than 12,000 hours of on-aircraft operating time and been flown on 2,500 flights.

Northrop Grumman is conducting the testing under a $55.4 million contract awarded last summer by the Department of Homeland Security to continue the development of a system aimed at decoying shoulder-launched missiles fired at jetliners.

"The program and system are a continuing success," said Robert Del Boca, sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division. "The accumulation of operating hours in the intended environment is providing significant data regarding the veracity of the design. We will continue the flight test program for the next four months and anticipate ongoing positive achievements."

The Guardian system is contained in a pod that is mounted on a jet's belly. Four sensors detect an approaching missile, which is then tracked by an infrared camera. A laser signal is beamed at the missile to confuse its heat-seeking guidance system and decoy it away from the jetliner target.

Similar technology has been in use by the military since 2000. However, there are a number of challenges to making the system practical for commercial airlines, including reducing maintenance. Military systems require maintenance after a few hours of flying, something that is not practical in a commercial operation, officials said.

The system was also designed to be as maintenance-friendly as possible. A pod carrying the system can be installed in less than 10 minutes. At 500 pounds, the system weighs about the equivalent of two passengers and their luggage.

[RS]

Well, one system you have a falling burning missile, one system you have a falling live missle and burning flares, and no system you either have a falling burning aircraft, or a burned out live missile that missed.

My vote is with the ones that think this is foolish on normal commercial airliners.

At almost every airport in this country you can get close enough to the end of the runways that nothing will be able to react quickly enough.

Think it’s just a feel-good waste of effort and money.

[Secret Agent Man]

I tend to agree with your overall view on this. If they do feel they have to go ahead with some kind of system, I guess I’d rather see it go with a more tried and easier maintainable system of flares than the laser system. What the heck would happen if a plane is taking off and a small jet is landing at an adjacent runway and the thing mistakes the hot jet engines of the other plane as a missile and does something to that plane? Don’t tell me it couldn’t happen.