ANTI-AIRCRAFT missiles will be rendered powerless against American planes if
a new laser-based aircraft protection system becomes operational.
The new system, which is designed to disable both surface-to-air (SAM) and
air-to-air (ATA) missiles, is being heralded as the countermeasure to trump all
countermeasures. Called the Laser Infrared Countermeasures Flyout Experiment
(LIFE), the $30 million project aims to defend planes against most types
of heat-seeking missile, using intelligent infrared jamming to fend them
off.
Unlike existing countermeasure systems, LIFE scans an incoming missile and
identifies it. Rather than simply looking for the heat from the missile’s
exhaust plume, it uses laser…
