[Infowarrior] - DHS ponders microwave raygun missile defences at airports

[Richard Forno]

DHS ponders microwave raygun missile defences at airports
Electropulse blasters will keep skies safe
By Lewis Page → More by this author
Published Friday 4th April 2008 14:06 GMT

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/04/microwave_dhs_airport_raygun_missile
_defences/

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will consider fitting
high-power microwave electropulse rayguns at US airports, in order to defend
against the threat of terrorists firing portable anti-aircraft missiles at
airliners.

American defence heavyweight Raytheon would partner with Israel's Rafael and
Kongsberg of Norway to provide the technology, according to a report in
Flight International. The proposed kit is known as "Vigiliant Eagle", and is
competing for DHS securo-dollars with defensive systems that could be fitted
to the airliners themselves - for instance BAE Systems' JetEye.

"I really don't think the airlines are going to want to add more stuff [to
the airliner] that's going to add weight," Raytheon exec Michael Booen told
Flight.

Vigilant Eagle, unlike its rivals, would be sited at the airport. Light,
portable anti-aircraft missiles of the type used by terrorists/insurgents
lack the ability to hit a jet at cruising altitude, so such attacks would
need to be mounted close to takeoff or landing.

Vigilant Eagle would detect any missiles fired using a network of infrared
cameras to pick out the hot rocket exhaust plume. The system would then
focus an intense microwave beam on the flying weapon, generated by a
so-called Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) of the type used in the
latest fighter radars.

The microwave beam would not be intense enough to melt or explode the
missile, but Raytheon are confident that it would reliably scramble the
circuitry of the guidance systems, sending the weapon veering off course.
The company says that successful tests have been carried out.

On the issue of possible effects on airliner systems - or even people -
Raytheon insist that Vigilant Eagle is safe as houses.

"Transmitted electromagnetic fields are well within Occupational Safety and
Health Administration standards" says the company spec sheet (pdf). Booen
told Flight that the wavelengths involved are the same used by commercial
cell phones, which - apparently - means there is no risk to airliner
avionics.

Some elements of Vigilant Eagle have already been tried out at "an
undisclosed US airport", it appears, and Raytheon would now like $10m from
the DHS for a live-fire trial. ®