BAE's JetEye Completes First Flight

BAE Systems' JetEye infrared missile defense system completed its first flight on a scheduled American Airlines aircraft flying from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, the company said Wednesday. JetEye, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Counter-Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) program, now begins its final phase to test the suitability of missile protection equipment for commercial aircraft. JetEye will be installed on two further American Airlines 767-200 aircraft for daily cross-country flights between now and March 2009. The evaluation will demonstrate the system's maintainability and reliability, as well as overall suitability with the industry. There will be no live-fire testing during these flights. For related news