[Parmenio]

"As envisioned, the aircraft would fly in a figure-eight pattern over an area deemed a likely site of a missile launch."

How did they plan to protect the 747? The way the article desribes it it would seem difficult to protect the plane against air to air or gound to air missle attack.

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

"How did they plan to protect the 747? The way the article desribes it it would seem difficult to protect the plane against air to air or gound to air missle attack."

Distance and Airpower. F-22 maybe?

[phantomworker]

That's why there are escorts.

[subterfuge]

How did they plan to protect the 747?

It's probably equiped with IRCM systems. Infrared Counter Measures. All Israili commercial jets have them, but they are expensive.

[Jeff Head]

Uh...if it can shoot down ICBM's in boost phase at long range, my guess is it could protect itself to some degree and engage a flight of adversarial aircraft well before they could engage it.

Having said that, I would also guess that due to the cost and value of this platform, that they would have some F-22's nearby escorting this aircraft and probably have a tanker in support to ensure they had the "legs" to do the job as long as it was on station.