Flight Guard
Encyclopedia
Flight Guard is an Elta
Systems Ltd's brand name for a family of airborne systems for protecting civilian aircraft against man-portable air-defense systems.
's Flight Guard is a missile detection and avoidance system that is installed on more than 200 military aircraft and helicopters as well as on several VIP commercial aircraft, and has been also installed in aircraft of the El Al
, Arkia
and Israir fleets that fly to high risk destinations.
In September 2003, a year after an attempt was made to shoot down an Arkia Israel Airlines
Boeing 757
in Mombasa
, Kenya in 2002, the Israeli Ministry of Transportation selected Elta Systems to perform advanced flight tests of Flight Guard for protecting its commercial aircraft. Part of the funding was used to obtain certification of the system by Israel's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the equivalent of the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The system chosen comprised a radar-based missile approach warning
system (MAWS) and countermeasure dispensing system. The system was chosen since it is specifically designed to defend low-flying aircraft against MANPADs, such as those utilized in the attack in Kenya. The automated system uses doppler radar
to detect incoming missiles, before firing IMI-designed civilian flares
to decoy
incoming infrared-homed
missiles.
Elta
ELTA Systems LTD is an Israeli provider of defense products and services specializing in radar, C4ISTAR, RF, SIGINT and EW products.Elta, a group and subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, is one of Israel's major defence electronics companies specializing in a variety of fields...
Systems Ltd's brand name for a family of airborne systems for protecting civilian aircraft against man-portable air-defense systems.
Description
EltaElta
ELTA Systems LTD is an Israeli provider of defense products and services specializing in radar, C4ISTAR, RF, SIGINT and EW products.Elta, a group and subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, is one of Israel's major defence electronics companies specializing in a variety of fields...
's Flight Guard is a missile detection and avoidance system that is installed on more than 200 military aircraft and helicopters as well as on several VIP commercial aircraft, and has been also installed in aircraft of the El Al
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
, Arkia
Arkia Israel Airlines
Arkia Israel Airlines , usually referred to as Arkia is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is Israel's second largest airline operating scheduled domestic and international services as well as charter flights to destinations in Western Europe...
and Israir fleets that fly to high risk destinations.
In September 2003, a year after an attempt was made to shoot down an Arkia Israel Airlines
Arkia Israel Airlines
Arkia Israel Airlines , usually referred to as Arkia is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is Israel's second largest airline operating scheduled domestic and international services as well as charter flights to destinations in Western Europe...
Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
in Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, Kenya in 2002, the Israeli Ministry of Transportation selected Elta Systems to perform advanced flight tests of Flight Guard for protecting its commercial aircraft. Part of the funding was used to obtain certification of the system by Israel's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the equivalent of the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The system chosen comprised a radar-based missile approach warning
Missile Approach Warning
A Missile Approach Warning system is part of the avionics package on some military aircraft. A sensor detects attacking missiles. Its automatic warning cues the pilot to make a defensive maneuver and deploy the available countermeasures to disrupt missile tracking.Guided Surface to Air Missile ...
system (MAWS) and countermeasure dispensing system. The system was chosen since it is specifically designed to defend low-flying aircraft against MANPADs, such as those utilized in the attack in Kenya. The automated system uses doppler radar
Doppler radar
A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that makes use of the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by beaming a microwave signal towards a desired target and listening for its reflection, then analyzing how the frequency of the returned signal has been...
to detect incoming missiles, before firing IMI-designed civilian flares
Flare (countermeasure)
A flare is an aerial infrared countermeasure to counter an infrared homing surface-to-air missile or air-to-air missile. Flares are commonly composed of a pyrotechnic composition based on magnesium or another hot-burning metal, with burning temperature equal to or hotter than engine exhaust...
to decoy
Decoy
A decoy is usually a person, device or event meant as a distraction, to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.-Duck decoy:The term duck decoy may...
incoming infrared-homed
Infrared homing
Infrared homing refers to a passive missile guidance system which uses the emission from a target of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared part of the spectrum to track and follow it. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers", since infrared is just below the...
missiles.
Controversy
The system has proved controversial, with both the FAA and Switzerland raising fire hazard safety concerns. The Swiss have stated that any aircraft with the system installed will be grounded, despite uncovering a plot to down an El Al aircraft in that country; other European countries have indicated that they might follow suit.Future development
Although Flight Guard was approved by the CAA and several other countries, the Israel authority decided to buy laser-based jamming system called Multi-Spectral Infrared Countermeasure (MUSIC) which began development in 2008 , that does not use flares. As of Nov 2009, few commercial aircraft have anti-aircraft missile protection systems, and these rely on flares as the countermeasure.See also
- CAMPSCAMPSCivil Aircraft Missile Protection System or CAMPS is an infrared countermeasure against infrared-homed anti-aircraft missiles, specifically designed to defend civilian aircraft flying under against MANPADS....
- Northrop Grumman GuardianNorthrop Grumman GuardianThe Northrop Grumman Guardian is a passive anti-missile countermeasure system designed specifically to protect commercial airliners from shoulder-launched missiles , using directed infrared countermeasures technology....
- Directional Infrared Counter MeasuresDirectional Infrared Counter MeasuresDirectional Infrared Counter Measures is a system produced by Elbit Systems, Northrop Grumman, ITT Corporation and BAE Systems to protect aircraft from infrared homing man-portable missiles. It is a lightweight, compact system designed to provide mission-vulnerable aircraft with increased...
- 2002 Mombasa hotel bombing - attack was co-ordinated with the shootdown attempt.
- List of airliner shootdown incidents
External links
- Flight Guard (Photographs and technical specifications)