Gary Fitleberg, November 23, 2004

El Al is the airline that sets the standard in security against terrorism.

El Al plans to begin installing anti-missile systems on its aircraft next month beginning with one Boeing jet, and if the experiment proves successful, six other aircraft will be fitted with the system. Eventually it will be installed on El Al's entire fleet.

The anti-missile system Flight Guard, which costs about $1 million per plane, was developed by the Israel Military Industries together with Elta Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aircraft Industry.

The system responds automatically to an approaching heat-seeking missile, firing flares that act as decoys and divert the missile away from the aircraft. Israeli military aircraft has been using this system for many years in flights under threat of heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles and air-to-air missiles.

The system could have diverted the missiles in the attempt to intercept an Arkia airplane on November 28, 2002, in Mombasa, Kenya, had they come within range of hitting the plane.

An Arkia plane carries more than 200 passengers, Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit said yesterday. Had such an aircraft been hit, it would have been Israel's September 11, he said.

The threat became a top priority for Israel after the attempted attack, and the efforts to develop the protection system for civilian aircraft were sped up.

IMI Givon made efforts to enlarge the flare and adjust it to civilian aircraft. Unlike the flares used on military aircraft, it is invisible to the human eye, and thus cannot be discerned when fired. This was an essential feature to avoid panic among the passengers in case they saw the flares being fired.

The flares are a central component of the Flight Guard project. So far more than 150 similar systems have been installed in civilian aircraft throughout the world, especially on private aircraft belonging to tycoons and state leaders. At this stage, the system has not been approved by the American Federal Aviation Administration yet. IMI is negotiating with American companies on developing the system together to facilitate obtaining FAA permits.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2004 Gary Fitleberg