Technology

AA Commercial Flights Now Have Anti-Missile System

FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ― They probably didn't even know, but passengers on a regularly scheduled flight last Friday from New York's JFK to Los Angeles flew on an American Airlines Boeing 767 equipped with technology to thwart a possible terrorist missile attack.

In testing now since 2006, the company is moving on to what it calls Phase 3 of the project. This encompasses flying the plane with the system - known as MANPADS JETEYE - in regular service with passengers on board. During this phase of the project, the system is not activated.

Phase 3 looks at the physical effects of the system on the aircraft. According to Tim Smith with American Airlines, that includes "fuel burn, wind resistance and drag, and any affect on routine aircraft operations and maintenance."

All involved want to get a good idea on how the system holds up during the daily grind of flying airplanes. From take-offs and landings to weather, it's an opportunity to see if the system will hold up under "real world" airline conditions.

It's worth noting that American Airlines is not a fan of the system. The company believes improved intelligence gathering and perimeter defense systems around airports might be a better idea and a more affordable option.

It's been reported each MANPADS JETEYE system costs upwards of $1 million.  Smith says that the MANPADS system is only effective at fairly close range, but the company decided to get involved with the project to find out more about how it works.

In the coming months, American Airlines will commit two more Boeing 767s from its fleet to increase the flight dynamic testing of the system. Those jets will operate just as this first one does, with paying passengers, cross country and with the system turned off.

Smith says there will not be any "live" testing during this phase, which is scheduled to continue through March of 2009. None of the test flights are currently scheduled to land or take off in North Texas.

American Airlines, a North Texas-based company, is working in conjunction with BAE Systems out of New Hampshire on the project.

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