Wirraway
27th Jan 2005, 14:07
Fri "The Australian"
Battle-ready US carrier to fit anti-missile system on its 747s
A correspondent in St Pauls, Minnesota
January 28, 2005
NORTHWEST Airlines' Boeing 747s will be equipped with a laser-based anti-missile system later this year as part of defence contractor Northrop Grumman's effort to develop a less costly system for protecting commercial airliners from shoulder-fired missiles.
The target price is about $US1 million ($1.3 million) a plane.
Northwest would not comment on its participation in the development of the system.
But Northrop Grumman said the airline would provide engineering and technical services that would facilitate the development of commercially viable anti-missile equipment for civilian airliners.
During flight tests, which will be used to ensure the system will not impair a plane's flying, there will be no paying passengers on the Northwest plane.
Missile tests, using dummy warheads, will be conducted at a New Mexico test range. The target will be a cable car travelling between two mountains and emitting an electronic signal identical to that of a 747 in flight.
With Northrop Grumman's Guardian system, sensors detect activity that could be a sign of an incoming missile. Once a missile attack is confirmed, a laser is directed at the missile to confuse its guidance system and send it off-course.
"From the time that missile is launched till we defeat it is two, three seconds," said Jack Pledger, Northrop Grumman director of infrared countermeasure business development. "And it requires no action from the pilot or anyone on the plane."
Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman is one of two firms working to adapt military anti-missile technology for use on civilian jets. The other is BAE Systems.
AP
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Battle-ready US carrier to fit anti-missile system on its 747s
A correspondent in St Pauls, Minnesota
January 28, 2005
NORTHWEST Airlines' Boeing 747s will be equipped with a laser-based anti-missile system later this year as part of defence contractor Northrop Grumman's effort to develop a less costly system for protecting commercial airliners from shoulder-fired missiles.
The target price is about $US1 million ($1.3 million) a plane.
Northwest would not comment on its participation in the development of the system.
But Northrop Grumman said the airline would provide engineering and technical services that would facilitate the development of commercially viable anti-missile equipment for civilian airliners.
During flight tests, which will be used to ensure the system will not impair a plane's flying, there will be no paying passengers on the Northwest plane.
Missile tests, using dummy warheads, will be conducted at a New Mexico test range. The target will be a cable car travelling between two mountains and emitting an electronic signal identical to that of a 747 in flight.
With Northrop Grumman's Guardian system, sensors detect activity that could be a sign of an incoming missile. Once a missile attack is confirmed, a laser is directed at the missile to confuse its guidance system and send it off-course.
"From the time that missile is launched till we defeat it is two, three seconds," said Jack Pledger, Northrop Grumman director of infrared countermeasure business development. "And it requires no action from the pilot or anyone on the plane."
Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman is one of two firms working to adapt military anti-missile technology for use on civilian jets. The other is BAE Systems.
AP
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