By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), announced that they were withdrawing conditions that would have allowed FedEx Corp (NYSE 🙂 delivery company to set up a laser-based missile defence on Airbus A321-200 planes.

Tuesday was a statement by the FAA that “has concluded that additional internal research is required.” To avoid confusion, the FAA stated that it had withdrawn the notice regarding a proposal which suggested the agency was not proceeding at the moment. FedEx declined to comment on Tuesday, and the FAA did not respond beyond that.

FAA stated Friday that it had proposed conditions for the public and opened it up to public comments.

FedEx submitted a request for authorization in October 2019 to emit infrared energy from the outside of the aircraft, as an anti-heat-seeking missile countermeasure. The FAA revealed Friday.

Over the past decades, governments and the airlines industry have had to deal with threats to their airliners by shoulder-fired missiles called Man-Portable Air Defense Systems or MANPADs. Others use infrared technology to attack an aircraft’s engine.

FedEx missile defense system directed infrared laser beam energy towards an incoming ballistic missile to attempt to stop it.

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

More than 40 civilian aircraft have been struck by MANPADs, according to the U.S. State Department since the 1970s.

Arkia Israeli Airlines Boeing (757 passengers) was narrowly hit by two missiles in November 2002. This incident prompted increased efforts to stop the threats.

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 aircrafts. Northrop Grumman (NYSE) Guardian Countermeasures System on Some Commercial Cargo Flights. BAE Systems, (OTC:), claimed that its JetEye systems had been installed on an American Airlines (NASDAQ) aircraft.