Tests are being carried out at an undisclosed US airport of the Vigilant Eagle area system designed to protect against Manpads shoulder-launched missiles.
The tests only involve the passive missile detection sensors component of the Raytheon/Rafael system. Rafael sources say that the high-power amplifier-transmitter that radiates a beam of directed electromagnetic energy to create a false target for the missile is not being evaluated as this could interfere with other systems.
The current partial test will continue until the end of 2008, by which time the partners hope to find a way to evaluate the full system in an operational environment.
Source: Flight International