Airliner Equipped to Repel Missiles

From CNN.com - Technology:

The first passenger plane equipped with a system to repel shoulder-fired missiles successfully completed its flight, a British defense and aerospace company announced Wednesday. The "JetEye" infrared missile-defense system was tested on an American Airlines flight that took off July 11, according to a statement from BAE Systems. The plane flew from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport in California, the company said. The JetEye system works by detecting the heat-seeking missiles and then firing a laser, which diverts the missile. American Airlines refused to make the system mandatory on all trips, but agreed to cooperate with the tests. The flight represents the final phase of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Counter-Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) program, designed to test the suitability of missile-protection equipment for commercial aircraft.

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