Singapore plans to equip its commercial airplanes with anti-surface-to-air missile devices within two years, local media reported on Sunday.

Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan said Singapore military planes have anti-missile defences and a government agency is developing such devices for their commercial counterparts, the Straits Times said.

Tan, who is co-ordinating minister for security and defence, said that once the anti-missile devices are available the Ministry of Transport will be responsible for fitting the planes of Singapore Airlines and its regional arm SilkAir.

In November, a cargo plane operated by courier DHL made an emergency landing at Baghdad's international airport after being hit by a surface-to-air missile.

The United States Department of Homeland Security has also commissioned research into adapting anti-missile defence systems to civilian aircraft.

(Reuters)