The US cargo airline FedEx could soon equip its fleet with an infrared missile defense system. The FAA has urged that commercial airliners, including FedEx freighters, believe this is necessary.

This is not the first attempt, but due to the high costs, there has been no implementation or an official order from the FAA. However, the view remains that commercial aircraft should generally be equipped with countermeasures against thermal missiles.

Among other things, the documents of the FAA, about which the portal The Drive first reported, read that in recent years attacks on civilian commercial aircraft, which are carried out with the help of mobile launchers, have increased sharply. To counter this threat, the FAA requires special conditions for FedEx to install a system "that emits infrared laser energy outside the aircraft as a countermeasure to heat-seeking missiles." Currently, the FAA notes, commercial aircraft airworthiness codes lack safety standards for these systems.

The specific aircraft in the submission, the Airbus A321-200, is a long-haul version of the A321 and is primarily used as a commercial passenger aircraft. FedEx does not yet operate the A321-200, although the aircraft is viewed by several major freighters as a contender for future cargo operations.