FITTING lasers to civil aircraft to protect them against missile attacks may not be practical, the US Department of Homeland Security has admitted after a two-year study.
The report says that on top of the $1 million it would cost to fit each plane with lasers designed to blind a missile’s heat sensors, operating costs would add $365 per flight. About half of this would go towards paying for the fuel needed to overcome the extra drag created by adding components to the outside of the aircraft.
The system is to be developed further and tested on cargo aircraft to…
