Stefan Mileschin

What could go wrong

FedEx has applied to the FAA seeking approval to install a laser-based, anti-missile defense system on its cargo planes as an added safety measure.

Apparently, it is a little worried that terrorists with the right military equipment, a single person can target a plane from three miles away using a heat-seeking missile.

FedEx's request to the Federal Aviation Administration, filed on 4 January has been a long time in the making. In 2008, the company worked with Northrop Grumman to test its anti-missile laser-based defence systems on 12 of the shipping company's cargo planes for over a year. At the time, Northrop

Grumman announced that its "system is ready to be deployed on civilian aircraft," although no commercial orders had been placed at the time, according to a company spokesperson.

FedEx's application to the FAA (PDF) to allow it to install and use anti-missile systems on its Airbus Model A321-200 cargo planes doesn't specifically mention Northrop Grumman's hardware, so the shipping company could now be working with another company, but the proposed hardware is basically the same as what was tested back in 2008.

https://fudzilla.com/news/54215-fede...s-cargo-planes