Northrop says its airliner defense system is ready

Testing on an antimissile defense system for commercial airliners has been completed and the system is ready to be deployed on civilian aircraft, defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. announced Wednesday.

Whether the system will be deployed is up to the airlines and the federal government, executives of the defense contractor said at a news conference, where they displayed one of the nearly one dozen FedEx Corp. planes that were used to test the system for more than a year.

No commercial orders for the system have been received, according to Northrop spokesman Jack Martin.

The system uses lasers to confuse heat-seeking missiles. The cost of the removable units depends on the number ordered, but company executives said it would be less than $1 million each.

David Denton, director of Northrop’s infrared countermeasures commercial program, said the system, developed from a similar military system, is fully automatic and has been tested in simulations involving multiple missiles.

Real missiles were not used during the testing, but the military version has successfully defeated actual missile launches, Northrop Grumman executive Jack Pledger said.

Denton compared the system to using a flashlight to blind someone.

“If someone was going to throw a baseball to you for you to catch it and then flashed a light in your face, you’re not going to be able to catch the baseball,” Denton said.

The invisible laser won’t harm vision, company executives said.

Northrop shares fell 52 cents to close at $78.36.