EL/M-2160
| Industry | Defense, Aerospace |
|---|---|
Area served | Global (military helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, VIP commercial jets) |
| Products | Flight Guard missile detection and evasion system, MUSIC™ suite including J-MUSIC™ and Mini-MUSIC™ |
Flight Guard is a product developed by Elta Systems Ltd, designed to protect civilian aircraft from threats posed by man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).
This system belongs to the Elbit Systems MUSIC™ suite, which features sophisticated DIRCM technologies aimed at defending aircraft from heat-seeking missile attacks. The J-MUSIC™ variant is tailored for larger aircraft such as transports and aerial refuelers, whereas Mini-MUSIC™ is optimized for helicopters and smaller to medium-sized airplanes.
Description
The Flight Guard missile detection and evasion solution by Elta is operational on more than 200 military helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, alongside VIP commercial jets. It is also implemented across the fleets of airlines like El Al, Arkia, and Israir, which frequently operate in environments with elevated security risks.
After the 2002 missile attack attempt on an Arkia Israel Airlines Boeing 757 in Mombasa, Kenya, the Israeli Ministry of Transportation selected Elta Systems in 2003 to carry out advanced flight evaluations of Flight Guard for commercial aviation protection. This initiative was supported by funding aimed at securing certification from Israel's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The solution comprises a radar-based missile approach warning system (MAWS) combined with countermeasure dispensers intended to safeguard low-altitude aircraft against MANPADS similar to those involved in the Mombasa incident. Utilizing doppler radar technology, it identifies incoming missile threats and automatically launches civilian flares, developed by IMI, which act as decoys against infrared-guided missiles. These flares are engineered to be imperceptible to the naked eye.
Controversy
Flight Guard has encountered opposition, notably from Switzerland and the US FAA, due to concerns over fire hazards. Switzerland announced that any aircraft equipped with this system would be prohibited from flying, despite having uncovered a plot targeting an El Al plane within its territory; several other European nations have signaled potential adoption of similar restrictions.
Future development
While Flight Guard received approval from the Israeli CAA and multiple other regulatory bodies, Israel opted to allocate resources toward developing a laser-based jamming technology known as Multi-Spectral Infrared Countermeasure (MUSIC) starting in 2008, which operates without employing flares.
See also
- CAMPS
- Common Infrared Countermeasures program
- Northrop Grumman Guardian
- AN/ALQ-144 - Infrared guided missile countermeasure system
- Directional Infrared Counter Measures
- 2002 Mombasa attacks - coordinated with the shootdown attempt
- List of airliner shootdown incidents
External links
- Flight Guard (Photographs and technical specifications)