A method and apparatus for protecting a civil aircraft from missiles with infrared seeker heads includes detecting a launch of a missile from a location of launch, the missile having an infrared seeker head with an infrared sensitivity range, a power and an operation frequency, continuously determining instantaneous coordinates of the missile in flight after the launch and generating pulsed laser radiation. A wavelength range of the pulsed laser radiation is within the sensitivity range of the infrared seeker head, a power of the pulsed laser radiation exceeds the power of radiation of the aircraft engine in the sensitivity range of the infrared seeker head and a pulse repetition frequency of the pulsed laser radiation is at about the operation frequency of the infrared seeker head. The method includes sending the pulsed laser radiation to the instantaneous coordinates of the missile in flight.