The U.S. package delivery company FedEx recently applied for permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modify some of its cargo planes with missile-defense laser systems, to allow them to continue flying in restricted air space.

According to FAA documents first revealed this week, FedEx submitted an application in October 2019 requesting permission to install a laser-based missile-defense system — which directs infrared laser energy toward heat-seeking missiles — on their Airbus Model A321-200 airplanes. The FAA documents are scheduled to be published on the Federal Register on Tuesday, after which the agency will request public comment on whether or not to approve the aircraft modification.

“In recent years, in several incidents abroad, civilian aircraft were fired upon by man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS),” the documents state. “This has led several companies to design and adapt systems like a laser-based missile-defense system for installation on civilian aircraft, to protect those aircraft against heat-seeking missiles. The FedEx missile-defense system directs infrared laser energy toward an incoming missile, in an effort to interrupt the missile’s tracking of the aircraft’s heat.”

When commercial aircraft faces increased risks in contested regions of the world, the FAA typically restricts civilian air traffic, forcing them to take longer flight routes to ensure their safety. This new laser countermeasure could potentially allow FedEx to continue operating in contested regions of the world.