The effort by the Transportation Security Administration to make U.S.
commercial airliners safe from hijacking and bombs is only the
beginning. The attempt to shoot down a commercial airliner in Africa on
February with two infra-red (IR) guided, man-portable surface-to-air
missiles showed the world that an equally serious threat exists. 50,000
of these weapons exist worldwide. Many already may be in the hands of
terrorists.
Protecting large aircraft against this threat is a
concern for both the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S.
military. Until recently, only passive countermeasures, either chaff,
flares or IR "blinders," were available to address this threat.
Currently, none of these systems are deployed on U.S. commercial
airliners. Now, there exists the possibility of deploying a laser
defense that would shoot down man-portable SAMs. This system would
complement the use of passive defenses and together provide the bases
for a layered defense.
Active airport defenses could be provided
by a variant of short-range tactical high-energy laser (THEL) developed
by the U.S. Army and the Government of Israel. The THEL is the most
successful anti-missile program ever developed. It has intercepted more
than 30 Katyusha rockets and five artillery shells. A mobile version of
the THEL, the MTHEL, is currently under development. It is this system
that would serve as the basis for an active airport defense capability.
A
directed energy weapon is probably the only way of engaging a man
portable SAM during its short time-of-flight. The airport defense
version of the MTHEL, dubbed HORNET, would employ a combination of the
airport's radar plus its own IR sensors to provide high quality target
identification and tracking. Special targeting algorithms will prevent
the system from accidentally firing on aircraft or ground features. The
HORNET provides a unique combination of speed-of-light engagement,
extremely precise targeting, lethality and operational safety
particularly well suited to the requirement for a high-confidence,
rapidly responsive system with which to defeat SAMs.
The HORNET
system would not have to be deployed at all of the nation's airports.
Some 80 per cent of all take-offs and landings in the United States
occur at 30 major airports. Defending these airports would
substantially reduce the risk.
An actual shoot-down of a SAM is
currently being planned. This experiment would cost only several
million dollars and require but a few months of preparation time. It
can be demonstrated that THEL can safely shoot down a SAM, the first
deployable unit could be available in approximately three years.
Unfortunately,
the acquisition system does not appear to be moving with the speed
necessary to capitalize on the near-term opportunity provided by the
MTHEL program. The effort to finds the small amount of money necessary
to prove the viability of the HORNET system is moving very slowly. This
could delay the planned test until next year. The acquisition system
appears to need a jump start to move forward on this important concept.
