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BAE Systems has received a $29 million award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to test an infrared aircraft missile defense system on passenger aircraft. The tests will evaluate the system's compatibility with daily passenger airline operations and maintenance.

The latest contract is for the third phase of the DHS counter-man-portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) program's research development activities. There will be no testing of the Jeteye system's missile-defeating capability because that testing was performed at government test ranges as part of an earlier phase of the program.

As part of the Department of Homeland Security's counter-MANPADS program, BAE Systems will install its Jeteye aircraft missile defense system on up to three American Airlines aircraft. The company will evaluate the system's compatibility with daily passenger airline operations and maintenance. "From the beginning, we actively engaged with U.S. cargo and passenger carriers to commercialize our technology to meet the needs of the airlines," said Burt Keirstead, director of commercial aircraft programs for BAE Systems. "We are confident that the passenger-aircraft phase of the program will provide valuable data for DHS's findings, providing critical, fact-based information to the airline industry and policymakers."

The JETEYE system is based on BAE Systems' existing directable infrared countermeasures technology, used to protect military aircraft. With this award, Jeteye will be the only system installed on cargo and passenger aircraft.

DHS selected BAE Systems in 2004 to adapt the company's military countermeasures technology to protect commercial aircraft against shoulder-fired missiles. Since then, BAE Systems has received $105 million in funding and has delivered more than 14,000 infrared countermeasure systems worldwide.

The counter-MANPADS program, created by DHS and Congress, is designed to commercialize proven military technology and gauge its suitability for protecting U.S. commercial aircraft by evaluating its performance, impact on aerodynamic drag, weight, reliability, maintainability and system cost.