FedEx asks FAA to install missile defense system on its cargo planes!

It is learned that according to documents from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), FedEx is seeking FAA permission to equip some of its cargo planes with the A321 laser missile defense system.

The FAA said it is still reviewing the proposal and will also consider public comments. FedEx does not currently operate any Airbus 321 aircraft and declined to comment on the incident.

For decades, the U.S. government and aviation industry have grappled with the threat to passenger planes from shoulder-fired missiles known as man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADs, which use infrared systems to target aircraft engines.

According to the U.S. State Department, more than 40 civilian aircraft have been hit by MANPADs since the 1970s. In November 2002, an ArkiaIsrael Airlines Boeing 757 was nearly hit by two missiles as it took off from Mombasa Airport.

In 2003, a DHL Airbus A300 cargo plane was damaged by a MANPAD and was forced to make an emergency landing in Baghdad.

An FAA document stated that the missile defense system that FedEx applied to install this time can direct infrared laser energy to incoming missiles to prevent missiles from tracking aircraft and play a defensive role.

Editor✎Irene/

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