Elbit Systems' C-MUSIC™ security system has been selected by the Israeli Ministry of Transportation to protect the entire Israeli commercial fleet
An Israeli government security official said last Friday that an enhanced risk of attack by militants using looted Libyan arms has made the government to accelerate the installation of anti-missile systems on its airliners.
The official, citing intelligence assessments, noted that chaos during the North African nation's uprising against Muammar Gaddafi allowed trafficking of Libyan shoulder-fired missiles to Palestinians and al Qaeda-linked groups in the Egyptian Sinai.
The official noted that Elbit Systems' C-MUSIC™ security system has been selected by the Israeli Ministry of Transportation to protect the entire Israeli commercial fleet. The official added that aircraft flown by El Al, Arkia and Israir are being equipped with a locally produced security system.
C-MUSIC™ is designed to protect large jet aircraft against man-portable heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles known as MANPADS. The C-MUSIC’s™ creates a laser beam that is directed towards the tracked missile, effectively defeating the incoming threat.
According to the Israeli official, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is covering the USD$1 million to USD$1.5 million that it costs to equip C-Music to each plane.
The bathtub-sized pods, built into the planes' bodies, increase drag in flight, meaning "a few million (dollars) a year" in extra fuel expenses, the official said, adding that this, too, would be borne by the government.
Israel's main international gateway, Ben-Gurion Airport, is 10 km (6 miles) from the occupied West Bank where, along with the Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip, Palestinians want a state.
