Sources inform “Globes” that El Al Israel Airlines (TASE:ELAL) will supply some of its passenger jets with anti-missile systems. As far as is known, El Al will be the world’s first airline to install electronic counter-measure systems on its planes.
El Al will install the Flight Guard shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile deflection system, manufactured by Israel Military Industries (IMI) subsidiary Elta Electronic Industries. Flight Guard includes IMI missile decoy devices. The Ministry of Defense Armaments Research and Development Administration chose the system, and the General Security Services acted as operations consultant.
Elta managing director Israel Livnat said today that the company expected additional orders for the system, both from El Al and from Arkia Airlines and Israir.
The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Subcommittee for Security Perception, headed by former Minister of Transport Ephraim Sneh discussed yesterday the installing of advanced technologies by Israeli airlines.
”We were allocated NIS 6 million to finish the international licensing process for the system,” Livnat said. “ The systems will installed first on El Al’s Boeing jets.
”Installing the system on El Al planes will boost international marketing of the system, because El Al is a global leader in airline security. The Ministry of Transport Israel Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) will register the system, but further registration in the US may be necessary before sales there can begin,” Livnat added.
The global market for civilian airline protection is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars over the coming decade. The price tag for Flight Guard is $1 million, Elisra Electronic Systems’ Passive Approach Warning System (PAWS) costs $1.5 million, Rafael’s (Israel Armament Development Company) will be offered for less than $1.5 million, and El-Op Electro-optics Industries is offering the MUlti- Spectral Infrared Countermeasure (MUSIC) system.
El Al declined to comment on the report, saying, “The company does not comment on matters pertaining to security.”
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on September 4, 2003