Northrop Grumman Guardian

[1] According to The Wall Street Journal, the program is now the subject of a lawsuit alleging that "in 2007 and 2008 the company intentionally inflated costs, presented false bills, lied about progress and withheld test data from the Department of Homeland Security.[4] As a result, the DHS initiated the "counter-MANDPADS" or "C-MANPADS" program in January, 2004, which tasked several defense contractors to adapt existing military countermeasures systems to commercial usage.The system's computer analyses the input signals, to confirm that the threat is real, and then directs a beam of an eye-safe infrared laser at the incoming object.[5] The system is wholly contained in an external, 460 mm (18 inch) high pod that weighs 250 kg (550 lb) and is mounted to the underside of the fuselage.[5] In view of the initially successful results, Congress directed DHS in October, 2006 to expand the program to include "a service evaluation in the passenger-carrying environment."
FedEx Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11 during flight test program of the Guardian, which can be seen mounted to the belly aft of the wings.
The Guardian pod mounted on the belly of a FedEx Express MD-11 during flight test.
The pod mounted on the belly of an Air Atlanta Europe 747 which was leased by FedEx for the flight tests in May, 2006
Pod mounted on the 747
An operational Guardian pod can be seen on the belly of this FedEx Express MD-10 between and just aft of the main landing gear
FedEx ExpressMcDonnell Douglas MD-11Air Atlanta Europecountermeasureairlinersshoulder-launched missilesdirected infrared countermeasuresThe Wall Street JournalDepartment of Homeland Securityarms black market2002 Mombasa airliner attack2003 Baghdad DHL attempted shootdown incident2007 Mogadishu TransAVIAexport Airlines Il-76 crashU.S. State DepartmentcivilianSenatorBarbara BoxerCongressmanSteve Israelinfrared countermeasuresAAQ-24 NemesisSupplemental Type CertificateBoeing 747McDonnell Douglas DC-10/MD-10air traffic controlfuselageAir Atlanta IcelandicMojave Civilian Aerospace Test CenterProject CHLOEAir National GuardBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker2002 Mombasa attacksAN/ALQ-144Civil Aircraft Missile Protection SystemCommon Infrared Countermeasures programDirectional Infrared Counter MeasuresFlight GuardList of airliner shootdown incidentsNorthrop GrummanScaled CompositesADM-160 MALDAGM-88E AARGMAGM-88G AARGM-ERAntares (rocket)AN/AAQ-37AN/ALQ-153AN/APG-77AN/APG-78 LongbowAN/APG-80AN/APG-81AN/APG-83AN/APG-85AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder radarAN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented RadarAN/ZPY-1Battlefield Airborne Communications NodeCygnus (spacecraft)Ground Based Strategic DeterrentJames Webb Space TelescopeMESA radarMission Extension VehicleNorthrop BQM-74 ChukarNorthrop Grumman B-2 SpiritNorthrop Grumman B-21 RaiderNorthrop Grumman E-2 HawkeyeNorthrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARSNorthrop Grumman EA-6B ProwlerNorthrop Grumman MQ-4C TritonNorthrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire ScoutNorthrop Grumman RQ-4 Global HawkNautilus Deep Space ObservatoryGrummanLitton IndustriesNorthrop CorporationLos Angeles AssemblyNorthrop Grumman Electronic SystemsSperry Marine Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Ship SystemsIngalls ShipbuildingNewport News ShipbuildingThe Apprentice SchoolOrbital ATKNorthrop Grumman Innovation SystemsRyan AeronauticalXetronJack NorthropLeroy GrummanWesley G. BushBurt RutanT. Claude RyanKathy J. Warden