First Commercial Carrier To Use Flight Guard

El Al Airlines has completed installation of anti-missile defense systems to all of its aircraft, making the Israeli carrier the first commercial airline to do so. The news comes less than two months after El Al announced the decision to equip six planes in its fleet with the defense systems.

Reuters reports all 29 aircraft owned by El Al have been fitted with the Israeli-made "Flight Guard" missile diversion system, which automatically shoots flares to throw off heat-seeking shoulder-fired missiles. It is unclear if the system has also been fitted to five planes the airline is leasing.

Other airlines are considering adapting the system, which costs approximately $1 million per plane. That pricetag has hindered its widespread use, with the Bush administration stating it may be more cost effective to fit airports with missile defense systems in lieu of outfitting individual planes.

El Al stepped up development on the system after an Israeli passenger plane survived an Al-Qaeda missile attack over Kenya in 2002. A DHL A300 was almost brought down by a similar missile attack over Iraq in 2004.

This isn't the first time El Al has been at the forefront of safety precautions on its planes. With the constant threat of terrorism looming, El Al flew amred air marshals on its planes long before American adopted a similar policy after 9/11.

The system is designed to be effective against heat-seeking missiles such as the Russian-made SA-7. Those types of missile are widely available through the developing world, and are most likely to be used by terrorist groups.

The makers of Flight Guard -- state-owned Israel Military Industries and defense firm Elta -- admit their system would not be effective against a radar-guided missile.

FMI: www.elal.co.il