Tim Hepher and David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), announced Friday that it would propose conditions for FedEx to put a laser-based missile defense on Airbus A321-200 aircraft.

FedEx Corp (NYSE) applied in October 2019 for permission to emit infrared energy from outside of the aircraft in countermeasure to heat-seeking rockets. The FAA published a document.

FedEx spokesperson declined immediate comment on whether approval is being sought for this application. FedEx doesn’t currently own any Airbus 321 airplanes.

FAA stated that it continues to review the proposal and would consider public comment. Airbus didn’t immediately respond.

For decades, the airline industry has been fighting against shoulder-fired missiles called Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (or MANPADs) that pose a threat to their airliners. Others use infrared technology to attack an aircraft’s engine.

FedEx’s missile defense system uses infrared laser energy to target an incoming missile. This is done in an attempt to disrupt the missile.

the missile’s tracking of the aircraft’s heat,” the FAA document said.

The FAA suggested conditions that it considers before approving it, such as ensuring the system will not be inadvertently operated while the aircraft is on the ground and during maintenance.

The U.S. State Department reports that more than 40 civil aircrafts were hit by MANPADs in the past forty years.

After two missiles narrowly missed Arkia Israeli Airlines Boeing (7NYSE:) 757 passenger aircraft on takeoff from Mombasa Airport in November 2002, efforts to counter the threat were intensified.

Also, cargo planes were targeted.

DHL lost an Airbus A300 cargo plane carrying DHL freighters in 2003. The aircraft was badly damaged and had to land at Baghdad.

FedEx participated in the U.S. government’s 2007-2008 trial of antimissile technology on civil aircraft by installing Northrop Grumman (NYSE:). Guardian anti-measures system for some cargo commercial flights. BAE Systems (OTC) stated that it installed the JetEye on an American Airlines plane.