The FAA Proposes to Allow FedEx Aircraft to Carry Anti-Missile Laser Countermeasures
%2Favatars%2FBUoTZ6lM79yi.jpg&w=96&q=75)
%2Fimg%2Fiea%2FZKwJlJrAGM%2Ffaa-fedex.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has filed a proposal with the U.S. Department of Transportation to equip FedEx aircraft with infrared countermeasures whose purpose would be to protect against heat-seeking missiles, according to The Drive.
"This action proposes special conditions for the Airbus Model A321-200 airplane. This airplane, as modified by FedEx Express (FedEx), will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design feature is a system that emits infrared laser energy outside the aircraft as a countermeasure against heat-seeking missiles," states the proposal.
The FAA says these measures are necessary since the last few years have seen several incidents abroad where civilian aircraft were fired upon by man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS). Since 1970, the International Civil Aviation Organization has counted 42 attacks involving MANPADS systems on civilian aircraft. The FAA goes on to say that current airworthiness regulations for commercial aircraft are devoid of safety standards.
The request is not new for the FAA or FedEx. Infrared countermeasures for FedEx aircraft have already been proposed before and the firm has been testing anti-missile countermeasures aboard its aircraft as far back as 2006.
Back then, it equipped a McDonnell Douglas MD-10 with Northrop Grumman’s pod-based Guardian DIRCM system. The move was part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Counter-MANPADS Program which focused on anti-missile systems for commercial aircraft, testing two infrared countermeasure systems.
The systems tested were the Northrop Grumman Guardian and the BAE Systems JetEye. After a study that involved 16,000 hours of flight testing, the DHS declared that both systems “met effectiveness requirements." In 2019, the same study also evaluated the feasibility of using high-altitude long-endurance drones to provide standoff protection against MANPADS. This project called CHLOE was however found not to meet requirements and never took off.
SHOW COMMENT (1)
/2022/11/22/image/png/l0MMenFAGFrsKP1uHkNEeZPHnthZXbTn1eY2POoT.png "NASA's Curiosity: Martian rocks are advancing our search for extraterrestrial life")
/2022/10/28/image/png/E48eImebSyhEoq9u9uBWqOpB9n60ITDnlTmnSP1d.png "How a thin coated film could upgrade photosynthesis and feed 9 billion people")
/2023/05/26/image/jpeg/smTFO3AG7ESAzCi8L0kVnrUEHbVmcjiZ2KhVW0QE.jpg "Potential cure for diabetes found in groundbreaking stem cell study")
/2022/11/07/image/jpeg/PZRJyLOLgPz1zlsCjKX9HyzEAUd55sYuGMST4iAg.jpg "What should we do if aliens make contact? Scientist reveals the first 4 steps to take")
/2022/08/19/image/jpeg/4SQAEO6ibCm7NTdOBsdETBkscWGF44dXGN60x3L9.jpg "Breathing new life into obsolete tech: Dalibor Farny makes Nixie tubes from scratch")
/2023/02/24/image/jpeg/wTLbGiH7q7zFDKitCQ2YG5kUDEPuJUqN6zfqchod.jpg "Scientists propose using lunar dust to block sunlight. What are the risks?")
/2023/05/26/image/jpeg/1JXrkwK7efWVsmu4aRFf4fdD1Ptufo7ZAU7UMPLd.jpg "US Carrier Strike Group can be countered with 24 hypersonic missiles, China claim")
/2023/05/28/image/jpeg/X1sB2puBpxN1VWCWMDkaa7Uwd2FUAdOP6AxTp8T8.jpg "NGAD: The chosen one - US Air Force commits to sole 6th-generation fighter")
/2023/05/26/image/webp/6Co80ZJJXboUOYLXIuCvkafLsBWpH8MROKX60PUF.webp "Hyper-luxury Bugatti tower will have its residents drive up to their floor")
/2023/05/27/image/jpeg/hUmy6fVQvimxfN8HBZ2IjrGKW1f8AVmrkTi3wPtJ.jpg "Stanford professor says he is 100% sure that aliens are already on Earth")