General Dynamics and the U.S. Department of Defense are planning to accelerate development of a ground-based, high-powered laser designed to protect aircraft from shoulder-fired, heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles. Under development since 2005, the Counter Man-Portable Air Defense System (CMAPS) will surround an airport with ultraviolet and infrared sensors to detect automatically a hostile launch, and then home in on the missile's nose, throwing off its guidance system with an infrared laser beam.
CMAPS is intended to protect aircraft at their most vulnerable points—take off and landing—for less money than it would take to outfit every plane and helicopter with defenses.

"The timeline is so short, we only have a few seconds from the time that the missile is launched until the time when we have to defeat it. So that requires the system to be autonomous. You have to stay ahead of the threat," said Jerry Snyder, director for advanced programs, General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products.

Most of the world's estimated 500,000 shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles have heat-seeking sensors.

GD developers tested CMAPS twice in 2006: at Tonopah Test Range, Nev., and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., where the system detected and tracked incoming missiles. Last month at the U.S. Army's Camp Atterbury, in Indiana, personnel test-fired the laser at various missiles. In these tests, the high-powered infrared laser hit and disabled the target, throwing it off course.

If an August test of both elements goes well at China Lake, CMAPS could quickly move to a system design-and-development phase that could bring a working defense into the field in as little as 18 months.

A typical large civilian airport might require four to six CMAPS stations, depending on the terrain and air traffic. Each station stands about four feet tall and includes sensors and lasers. Costs could run $25 million to $30 million to defend a civilian airport. Whereas military landing zones will most likely need fewer stations and, therefore, be less expensive.

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