ARIE EGOZI / TEL AVIV
New system will be able to determine whether approaching aircraft are 'friendly'
The Israeli government has unveiled more improvements to its civil aviation security infrastructure following lessons learnt from last year's terrorist attacks in the USA.
Details of the measures were revealed by Israeli transport minister Ephraim Sne and senior air force officers. They require passenger aircraft that are approaching Israeli airspace to identify themselves as "friendly" using a unique system which is in the final stage of development. According to Sne, identification will be made by a special control centre operated by Israel's civil aviation authority.
Sne declines to elaborate on the system, but says it was developed by the Israeli defence industry in co-operation with the air force. Flight International understands the system will use a "smart card" and a code transmitted to the ground by the aircraft's identification friend or foe system.
Passenger aircraft approaching Israeli airspace will have to make first contact with air traffic control when they are 300km (160nm) from Israel's border. "We have doubled the reporting range to allow more identification procedures in cases of doubt," says air force intelligence head Maj Gen Ilan Baram.
Sne also says two teams are working on a system to protect passenger aircraft from attack by shoulder-launched missiles during take-off and landing. Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has teamed with Rafael, and Elisra with Elbit. Rafael has released some details about its Britening system, which consists of a missile warning and tracking (MWTS) directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) and a system controller. The MWTS detects the incoming missile and supplies directional and time-of-impact data. The countermeasures, housed in an rapidly rotating turret, are cued by the MWTS and are designed to disrupt the missile guidance sensor's lock on the target.
The minister also says the regulations governing the security-clamping of light aircraft are being enforced. The regulations require aircraft owners to clamp one of the wheels with a locking device authorised by the ministry's security department.
Source: Flight International
