FedEx Seeks Laser Missile Defense System for Aircraft it Doesn't Fly

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The FedEx Express request for an onboard antimissile system made public last week on a federal website is unusual in several respects, including the fact the installation is for an Airbus A321 aircraft that the express freight carrier doesn't even have in its fleet and is for passengers, not cargo. And FedEx applied for the design modification more than two years ago.

"Which means it's probably an experimental test bed," said aerospace expert Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory. "I'm not aware of many people with the possible exception of the Israelis who really like the idea for their fleet." 

He speculated that FedEx might be interested in protecting cargo jets that operate in dangerous environments doing work for the U.S. military, such as helping to evacuate equipment from Kabul, Afghanistan, last year. FedEx belongs to the Civil Reserve Air Fleet and routinely carries military cargo. 

In 2003, a DHL cargo jet was struck by a missile taking off from Baghdad, Iraq, but was able to land.

"It's conceivable that civil jetliners doing government contract work in such a scenario could use such a system," Aboulafia said.

FedEx FDX did not respond to repeated requests to explain its plans and the threat it is trying to protect against. 

A former FedEx Express executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the carrier tested an antimissile defense system on an aircraft about 15 years ago.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday officially published proposed safety standards that would allow FedEx Express to modify an aircraft with a laser-based defense system to protect against ground-fired missiles. Commercial aircraft operators routinely seek approval to change an original aircraft design to meet new operating needs, but novel design features that weren't envisaged when an aircraft type was originally certified require the agency to issue special conditions to ensure the aircraft's airworthiness.

FedEx applied for FAA certification in October 2019 to alter an A321-200 airframe so it can carry a system that emits infrared laser energy toward heat-seeking missiles and deflects them away.

An A321 freighter didn't even exist in the market until September 2020, when Airbus joint venture Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW) delivered the first passenger-to-freighter conversion. Since then the company has produced several more converted freighters from retired passenger planes, booked more than two dozen orders and expanded manufacturing capacity. Last year a U.S. company, 321 Precision Conversions, also began producing A321 converted freighters. 

Authorities have been concerned for decades about terrorists getting hold of shoulder-fired missiles, designed to shoot down attacking military aircraft, and targeting commercial planes. Several companies, including BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman, have adapted defense systems for military aircraft for installation on civilian aircraft. After the 9/11 attacks, Congress funded research for systems that could protect airliners, but there has been little public attention on the matter for years. Much of the interest was drummed up by vendors with systems to sell.

A BAE infrared missile defense system was tested on an American Airlines jet in 2008 as part of a Department of Homeland Security program to test the technology for potential use on commercial jets, according to the defense contractor at the time.  

Arms control experts say the threat to carriers has been greatly diminished in many parts of the world because the U.S. military and intelligence agencies secured and destroyed thousands of surplus and poorly secured launchers and missiles from black markets, and the government established strict export controls on the weapons. Plus, plane-mounted laser jammers are ineffective against some types of shoulder-fired missiles. 

Passenger and cargo airlines aren't interested in installing missile defense systems because of the recurring acquisition, training and maintenance expense, as well as the potential to impair aircraft performance, said Aboulafia.

"And on top of that, it is a type of weapon. And you're taking a commercial jet and to a small degree militarizing it. That might not be a good idea either," he said.

However, high-end business jet manufacturers such as Gulfstream, Dassault and Bombardier have very discreetly offered missile countermeasures to their clients and some people have taken them up on it, the longtime Teal Group analyst said.

Israel has mandated the antimissile systems for its airlines, including flag carrier El Al.

FAA oversight

Special safety standards are required for the FedEx modification because infrared laser energy can pose a hazard to persons on the aircraft, on the ground and on other aircraft, according to the FAA. The risk is heightened because infrared light is invisible to the human eye. Human exposure to infrared laser energy can result in eye and skin damage and affect a flight crew's ability to control the aircraft. Infrared laser energy also can adversely affect other aircraft, whether airborne or on the ground, and property, such as fuel trucks and airport equipment.

The FAA said in its proposed rulemaking that it would require the FedEx system to prevent inadvertent activation while the aircraft is on the ground, such as errors during maintenance or erroneously setting the system to "air" mode, and that it doesn't result in damage or injury when operated during flight. Other conditions involve proper warning markings and placards, as well as instructions provided to maintenance and service personnel about the hazards of using magnifying glasses or binoculars.

The agency is allowing 45 days for public comment.

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This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.