‘Man-portable air-defense system’

17 Mar 2022 ‘Man-portable air-defense system’

Man-portable air-defense system -Today Current Affairs

• The United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are shipping weapons to Ukraine, including highly sensitive weapon systems such as the shoulder-launched missile – the ‘Man-Portable Air-Defense System’ (MANPADS), which can easily bring down the plane.
• Countries like India, Pakistan, Germany, UK, Turkey and Israel have also used MANPADS in their defense efforts.
• Russia is by far the largest exporter of MANPADS, having sold over 10,000 such systems between 2010 and 2018 to various countries including Iraq, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Venezuela and Libya.

Today Current Afairs

What are ‘MANPADS’?

• These are short-range light and portable surface-to-air missiles, which can be used to destroy aircraft or helicopters.
• They help protect troops from air attacks and are most effective at targeting low-flying aircraft.
• The ‘Man-Portable Anti-Tank System’ (MANPAT) also functions in a similar way but is used to destroy or disable military tanks.
• ‘MANPADS’ has a maximum range of 8 km and can hit targets up to an altitude of 4.5 km.
• The first ‘MANPADS’ was introduced by the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s.

Features:

 Shoulder fired and low weight: The Hindu Analysis

• They can be fired from the shoulder, launched from the top of a ground vehicle, fired from a tripod or stand, and from a helicopter or boat.
• These are much lighter than other weapon systems, making them easy for soldiers to operate.
• They weigh between 10 and 20 kg and their height does not exceed 1.8 meters.

Fire and Forget Guidance System: The Hindu Analysis

• Most of these have passive or ‘fire and forget’ guidance systems, which means that the operator does not need to guide the missile to its target, allowing them to steer and move quickly after firing.

Infrared (IR) Investigators: The Hindu Analysis

• Missiles are fitted with infrared (IR) detectors that detect and target an airborne vehicle through emitted heat radiation.

 Common types: The Hindu Analysis

• Stinger missiles (US), Igla MANPADS (Russia), Starstreak (UK), RBS-70 MANPADS series (Sweden), Next Generation Light Antitank Weapon or NLAW missiles and Javelin missiles (US and NATO).

Concerns:

 Civil Attacks: The Hindu Analysis

• According to a 2019 study, more than 60 civilian aircraft have been hit by MANPADS since the 1970s, which has claimed over 1,000 civilian lives.

Illegal Use by Non-State Agents: The Hindu Analysis

• Over time non-state actors such as insurgent and terrorist groups and other high-intensity conflicts have been known to acquire MANPADS illegally.

Illegal arms trade: Today Current Affairs

• Observers fear that sending light ground-based MANPADS to Ukraine could lead to a rapid expansion of the illegal arms trade network.

Here we mention all information about Man-portable air-defense system -Today Current Affairs.

khyati khare