Cheap commercial counter-MANPAD solution?

Let me extend a premature congrats to Northrop Grumman on "exceeding expectations" in live-fire testing, and "topping reliability goals" for their Guardian counter-MANPADS system.

The system is a DIRCM (Directed InfraRed Counter-Measure) solution being tested by DHS, alonside a BAE product, JETEYE, for commercial use in protecting aircraft from shoulder-fired rockets. Basically, it uses laser energy to disrupt an incoming rocket, and causes ito to hit something other than the plane. Hopefully not small children elsewhere, or air traffic control...

I am especially curious about the price quoted in the article. According to a Northrop Grumman executive... "Pledger said modification of the sixteen jetliners would cost between $300,000 and $400,000, a modest amount well worth spending."

I think he's been misinterpreted, or perhaps we're being purposely led astray. The critical word they've left out is "each". $300K-$400K per aircraft. Right? Also, how many units produced would achieve that price point? Certainly not 16! Previous price quotes all dealt in terms of the "thousandth unit produced", so the quote seems misleading in a few ways....

Not surprising, coming from TradingMarkets.com... let's all put a "Strong Buy" on NOC and its bargain basement C-MANPADS solution :-/

Well, even if the price quoted is supposed to be per aircraft, it's still much cheaper than the $1m per aircraft price point the DHS hoped industry could fall below. It's even cheaper than previous Northrop Grumman quotes, if I recall correctly, were $500K and above at the 1000th unit.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1014287/