Manning the Unmanned Lookout Post

Initial bid responses for a Homeland Security initiative to protect US airports with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) are due on 25 April. Fully structured proposals are due by 08 June. The 27 March proposition to industry was for "an alternative concept of providing persistent stand-off airborne Manpads protection for all commercial aircraft within a designated geographic area" by coupling high-altitude endurance UAVs with counter-Manpads technology. The high-altitude long-endurance UAV would sport detection sensors and active countermeasures and orbit at and above 65,000ft (visual horizon: 565.7 miles/491.6nms/910.6kms). Airports named as candidates in the proposal are Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York Newark, San Diego and Washington National. The threat is seen as being a three mile radius below 18,000ft and each airport's approach and departure corridors out to 105kms. In its final evolution the aerial system is seen as interfacing with ground-mounted countermeasures....such as Vigilant Eagle. (link).  Contracts are due for award in August 2007 for a demonstration around a year later. It's understood that research into fitting airliners with directed infrared counter­measures systems (DIRCM) will continue. Critics of non-organic (i.e. not onboard-carried) systems point out quite correctly that long-haul jets will be vulnerable at their overseas destinations if not fitted with DIRCM. For Related News