BAE sees infrared to combat terrorist threat

BAE Systems has unveiled its Jeteye air missile defence system.

Jeteye is designed to protect commercial airliners against the threat of terrorist attacks with infrared guided missiles, and is based on the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM) system, which was developed for military aircraft.

The UK alone has around 220,000 flights entering and leaving the country each month.

Work on the device began in January 2004, and it has been successfully tested on an airliner flying from Fort Worth Alliance airport in the US.

With the help of American Airlines’ maintenance and engineering services division, Jeteye has been installed on a Boeing 767, where its designers are assessing its performance against threats from multiple missiles.

The results of this trial should be available by the end of the year, with the FAA certifying the system as ready for use in January.