MANPADS, or man-portable air-defence systems, are short-range, portable surface-to-air and lightweight missiles that weigh between 10 and 20 kilograms and have a length of 1.8 meters or less. A single individual can use this to take out low-flying planes or helicopters.
Stinger missiles are a type of shoulder-fired man-portable defence system developed by the United States. President Joe Biden of the United States approved a $200 million armaments package for Ukraine, which includes US-made Stinger missiles.
The US and NATO have already delivered over 17,000 anti-tank weaponry and 2,000 Stinger missiles in the first week of March. Anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, according to analysts, have been effective in halting Russian military gains in the air and on the ground.
According to the RAND Corporation, a policy think-tank based in the United States, MANPADS have a maximum range of 8 kilometers and can engage targets at a height of 4.5 kilometers, with a ‘fire and forget’ guidance system equipped with infrared seekers that identify and target aircraft through heat radiation.
MANPADS are a source of concern in Ukraine.
‘Ukraine is regarded to have one of Europe’s greatest arms trafficking marketplaces,’ according to the Global Organized Crime Index. While it has long been a vital connection in the worldwide arms trade, its importance has only grown since the conflict in eastern Ukraine began.’
According to Pentagon-funded research released in 2019, 57 non-state armed groups have been proven or suspected of holding MANPADS, and over 60 civilian aircraft have been attacked by MANPADS since the 1970s, killing over 1,000 civilians.
Published By – Damandeep Singh
Edited By-Kritika Kashyap
