Northrop Grumman Corp. on Tuesday began regular flight testing of a system designed to protect commercial aircraft from shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles.

Northrop Grumman officials unveiled the Guardian system to the media and discussed its importance to homeland security at the FedEx facility at Los Angeles International Airport.

The Guardian is a pod that clings to the rear of a plane’s belly. Four sensors on the pod watch for shoulder-launched heat-seeking missiles, also known as Man-Portable Air Defense Systems or MANPADS. If such a missile is launched at the plane, a turret on the pod shoots a laser at the missile to disrupt its guidance signals and throw it off course.

& #8226;


Read the Daily Breeze story

.