Israel has begun installing anti-missile defense systems with laser-firing capabilities on its passenger planes, defense ministers said.
The Elbit System’s C-Music — “Sky Shield” — is the nation’s newest means of defending its commercial flight sector from militants carting shoulder-fired missiles, The Blaze reported.
Several passenger jets already have the technology, Israel’s Army Radio reported. The shield is installed on the underside of passenger planes and uses thermal cameras to detect incoming missiles.
Once the missile gets too close to the plane, the defense shield fires off a laser. The idea is the laser sends the missile off trajectory, and it then explodes far away from the plane.
“The experiments, carried out in southern Israel, were some of the most complex and sophisticated ever carried out in Israel,” said the defense ministry, in a statement reported by The Blaze. “It combined advanced detection and disruption technologies, and meets the strongest requirements of commercial flight.”
The system can also be used on military jets and helicopters.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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