The US and NATO allies are supplying arms shipments to Ukraine at an increased pace to help Ukrainian troops counter the significantly well-equipped Russian military’s attacks.
- Among other arms and drones, the assistance includes 800 Stingers – a type of man-portable air defence system (MANPADS) – and 2,000 Javelin anti-armour systems.
What are MANPADS ?
- MANPADS are “short-range surface-to-air missiles used to intercept fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft in flight.”
- These are designed to be fired while mounted on a person’s shoulder or a tripod.
- Among such weapons, Stingers – made by the US – have an infrared seeker which detects the target through its radiation emissions.
- They can be used to shoot down aircraft and drones. Another example of such missiles is the Russian Igla-S.
- While MANPADS are deployed for air defence, US-made Javelins are used to destroy tanks and armour.
- Javelins, too, come equipped with an infrared sensor so the missile can make adjustments mid-air to find its target.
- Around 20 countries, including the US, UK, Russia, Sweden, North Korea, Poland, and others, produce MANPADS.
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