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Northrop takes anti-missile system aloft Northrop Grumman Corp. has announced that its Guardian anti-missile system has entered its live-testing phase with a January 17 flight aboard an MD-10 airliner in commercial service. As part of Phase III of the DHS-sponsored program, a Northrop Grumman-led industry team will complete production of Guardian missile defense systems for installation on MD-10 aircraft. During the test and evaluation effort, which concludes in March 2008, nine MD-10 aircraft equipped with the Guardian system will be in continual revenue service operation. To date, Northrop Grumman has completed a 16-month flight test program in commercial test operational environments that included the use of a ground-based electronic missile surrogate to simulate the launch of a shoulder-fired missile against aircraft during takeoff and landing. The tests were performed on an MD-11, an MD-10 and a B-747 aircraft. In each test, the Guardian system detected the simulated launch and mock missile. In real-life conditions Guardian would have engaged an invisible laser beam to disrupt the missile guidance system.
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