Defense Firms Claim Aircraft Missile Protection Almost Ready

Executives of two defence manufacturers in the United States have said that the systems needed for protecting commercial aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles are almost ready.

Airlines and the US government may however not take them into use unless the public perceives an imminent threat, Reuters reported.

Walt Havenstein, who will become president and chief executive officer of BAE Systems in the US on 1 January, said that airlines must have the technology to respond to missile threats.

BAE's device is known as JETEYE and is reportedly being flight-tested on a Boeing 767 owned by American Airlines, while Northrop Grumman's Guardian has been tested on both Boeing 747 and MD-11 aircraft.

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