U.S. global express company FedEx (FedEx) has submitted an application to U.S. government regulators for approval to install infrared laser anti-missile systems on the company's cargo planes to deal with the occasional risk of missile attacks.
NBC reported that the federal government website "Federal Chronicle" published an announcement issued by FedEx. "In recent years, there have been several international incidents of civilian aircraft being attacked by man-portable air defense systems," the announcement said.
FedEx said it hopes to install the system "to direct infrared laser energy onto incoming missiles to disrupt and terminate the missile's tracking of the heat of the aircraft's engines."
FedEx said infrared laser energy also poses a hazard to self-defense aircraft, other aircraft in the air, and people on the ground, and FedEx recommends a series of steps to reduce that risk. The development of this system requires approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
FedEx has more than 650 aircraft. The company hopes to install the system on its upcoming Airbus A321-200 aircraft, the communique said.
According to the American Military News website (American Military News), Federal Aviation Administration documents show that FedEx first submitted the application in 2019. The Federal Register is set to go public next Tuesday, seeking public opinion on whether the federal government should approve it.
The report said that the Federal Aviation Administration usually requires commercial aircraft to bypass the disputed area to ensure safety when dealing with commercial aircraft facing danger from the disputed area. If the FedEx application is successful, it will mean that FedEx planes will continue to fly over the disputed area in the future.
US commercial aircraft began installing anti-missile systems as early as 2008. The Israeli airline EL AL installed a missile defense system in 2004.
In the history of civil aviation, there have been several incidents in which civilian aircraft were attacked by missiles, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The most recent was on January 8, 2021, when Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 from Tehran to Kiev crashed in the outskirts of the Iranian capital Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. Iran has admitted that the Iranian military mistook the plane for a cruise missile and shot it down.
In 2014, a Malaysia Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over eastern Ukraine. The international investigation team concluded that this was a mistaken attack by the Russian-backed separatist forces.
In 2003, a jet cargo plane of German air cargo company DHL was hit by a missile after leaving Baghdad, Iraq. Fortunately, the three crew members made it back to Baghdad airport safely.
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