Symetrics Industries is part of a team led by United Airlines to conduct research into the feasibility of installing self-protection systems on US commercial airliners to protect them from terrorist missile attacks.
The team has been awarded a $2 million system development and demonstration (SDD) contract by the US Department of Homeland Security Counter-MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems) Special Projects Office. The award represents Phase I of a two-year, $100 million DHS research and development programme to design and demonstrate countermeasures against the MANPADS threat.
Symetrics, which supplies its AN/ALE-47V Countermeasures Dispenser System (CMDS) to the US military, will integrate the unit onto commercial test aircraft during the two-year DHS contract.
The CMDS is an automated computer-controlled system that dispenses expendable decoys capable of defeating simultaneous launches from shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles.
Texas-based Avisys and ARINC will direct the overall project, with other team members including the US Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Alliant Techsystems, Thales and L-3 Communications Integrated Systems.
Source: Flight Daily News