NEWS

United States President approved a arms package for Ukraine, which would include U.S. made Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems (MANPADS).

WHAT ARE MANPADS?

• Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems
• Short-range, lightweight and portable surface-to-air missiles
• Can be fired by individuals or small groups to destroy aircraft or helicopters
• Help shield troops from aerial attacks and are most effective in targeting low-flying aircrafts
• Can be shoulder-fired, launched from atop a ground-vehicle, fired from a tripod or stand, and from a helicopter or boat
• Weighing anywhere between 10 to 20 kilograms and not being longer than 1.8 metres
• Operating requires substantially less training
• Have passive or ‘fire and forget’ guidance systems, meaning that the operator is not required to guide the missile to its target, enabling them to run and relocate immediately after firing
• Stays locked-on to the targeted object, not requiring active guidance from the soldier
• Fitted with infrared (IR) seekers that identify and target the airborne vehicle through heat radiation being emitted by the latter
• Most common make of MANPADs is the U.S.-made Stinger missiles. Stinger’s Russian or Soviet-made counterparts are the Igla MANPADS, which also employ infrared