Northrop Grumman System Installed On Seven MD-10s

Northrop Grumman Corporation announced this week the achievement of more than 6,000 on-aircraft operational hours for the Guardian Counter-Man Portable Air Defense System (C-MANPADS) currently installed on seven wide-body cargo aircraft flying daily in commercial revenue service.

"This milestone marks an important event for Northrop Grumman and the aviation industry. For the first time, we have been able to collect valuable logistics data while operating Guardian on aircraft in routine commercial service," said Jeff Palombo, vice president of Infrared Countermeasures at Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division. "This data proves the Guardian system is a viable concept for commercial applications to protect aircraft from today's modern MANPADS threats."

Under the terms of the operational test and evaluation portion of the US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) C-MANPADS program, which concludes in March 2008, a Northrop Grumman-led industry team has completed production of 12 Guardian missile defense systems with successful installation to date on seven MD-10 aircraft.

The purpose of this evaluation phase is to collect reliability data in a standard, day-to-day operational environment and, as of July 31, the Guardian system has achieved a cumulative total of 5,163 on-aircraft operating hours during more than 1,150 revenue service flights.

The Guardian system is a defensive aid utilizing proven military technology to defend against the commercial aviation threat posed by anti-aircraft, shoulder-fired missiles. Once launched, the missile is detected by the Guardian system, which then directs a non-visible, eye-safe laser to the seeker of the incoming missile, disrupting its guidance signals, and protecting the aircraft.

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