Why FedEx is seeking approval for an anti-missile system on its cargo planes

FedEx plans to equip some of its cargo planes with laser technology to keep off incoming heat-seeking missiles.

The action was taken in response to a threat regarding the aircraft’s heat tracking. An Airbus A330 belonging to DHL was struck by a surface-to-air missile in 2003 shortly after it took off from Baghdad. The crew made a safe return to the airport. “In recent years, in several incidents abroad, civilian aircraft were fired upon by man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS),” stated the document from the FAA.

The proposal also addresses possible safety issues because infrared laser radiation may pose a risk to individuals inside the aircraft, outside of it, or in another aircraft. Furthermore, infrared laser energy is undetectable to the human eye, which raises risks.

In response to the concerns raised, the FAA issued a list of requirements, one of which was that the design must prevent “inadvertent operation of the system” while the aircraft is on the ground, including during maintenance.

In addition, a lot of businesses have created and designed systems that can be modified to use a laser-based missile defense system that can deflect heat-seeking missiles by aiming infrared energy in their direction in an attempt to stop the missile from tracking the aircraft’s heat.