BAE Systems has received a $29 million award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test an infrared aircraft missile defense system on passenger aircraft. The tests will evaluate the system’s compatibility with daily passenger airline operations and maintenance.
This award funds the third phase of the DHS counter-MANPADS program’s research development activity. The current phase will not test the system’s missile-defeating capability, a task already demonstrated in an earlier phase of the program. The JETEYE missile defense systems will be installed on up to three American Airlines aircraft. The DHS counter-MANPADS program is designed to commercialize proven military technology and gauge its suitability for protecting U.S. commercial aircraft by evaluating its performance, impact on aerodynamic drag, weight, reliability, maintainability, and system cost.
The JETEYE system is based on BAE Systems’ existing directable infrared countermeasures technology, used to protect military aircraft. With this award, JETEYE will be the only system installed on both cargo and passenger aircraft.
