Portable systems form the backbone of Ukraine’s air defense. But what exactly are MANPADS? How do they work? And what conditions are necessary for their effective deployment?

Very different defense systems are used on the Ukrainian side to combat approaching Russian drones, fighter jets and helicopters. These range from the Gepard tank supplied by Germany and comparable systems as well as larger Soviet-made S-300 and Buk, Nasams from the USA and Iris-T SLM from Germany to shoulder-launched missiles (MANPADS) such as Igla or Stinger. The latter make it possible to destroy targets costing millions with comparatively little material and resources.

Defenture – das neue „Rallyeauto“ des Jagdkommandos

What are MANPADS?

Specifically, MANPADS are man-portable air defense systems, i.e. surface-to-air missiles that can be carried and fired by a single person or carried by several people and fired by more than one person.

Most MANPADS consist of:

  • a rocket packed in a tube,
  • a reusable firing mechanism (commonly known as a “gripstock”), which in some cases is equipped with an electronic friend/foe detection system, and
  • a disposable battery/cooling gas container.

The tubes that protect the missile until it is fired are disposable. In some cases, rudimentary sights are mounted on them. A combined disposable battery/gas canister is typically used to supply the missile with energy before launch and to cool the seeker head.

MANPADS launch tubes typically have a length of up to two meters and a diameter of around seven to eight centimeters. They weigh up to 25 kilograms with the launcher. They are easy to transport and take up little space. Some of the most common MANPADS fit easily into the trunk of a car. The missiles reach speeds of around Mach 2 and can be used against targets at distances of up to five kilometers and altitudes of up to three kilometers.

The majority of systems have an infrared (IR) seeker head, while the more modern variants have had imaging sensors for some time, sometimes in several IR bands. The shooter aims at the target until the missile emits a sound, which enables the shooter to recognize that the seeker has detected the target. The missile is then fired.

Successful shooting as a team

The secret of the MANPADS’ effectiveness lies in the organizational structure, which is optimized for the characteristics of the weapon. The lightest and most portable systems have disposable batteries that can only power the system for a maximum of one minute. In this narrow time window, the shooter often acquires, aims and shoots at a target at a distance that makes clear identification difficult to say the least.

The key to success is therefore to provide the shooter(s) in the area of operations with optimum information about the air situation in the airspace close to the ground. The most important advance information is knowledge of the location and time of own aircraft deployments in order to avoid “friendly fire”. If the deployment sites of enemy aircraft can be observed, it is also advantageous to know when and from where which aircraft types have begun their mission flights. It is particularly important to keep the entire air defense system well informed if, as is the case in Ukraine, both sides are equipped with some of the same aircraft types.

 

Air situation

The air situation picture does not necessarily have to be transmitted to the gunner(s) at the highest technical level; it can also be “banal” voice radio. In any case, however, the gunner(s) must have very precise information about the type of aircraft, speed, altitude and direction as well as the location and time of the sighting in order to optimally time the deployment of the MANPADS. Some countries deploy the MANPADS in two-man teams. The team consists of a commander, who takes care of this air situation picture, and a gunner, who can concentrate on operating his weapon and is briefed on the air target.

Ideally, the shooter(s) are not surprised that an aerial target suddenly appears, but have already known for several minutes that an enemy aircraft to be engaged is in the airspace and from which direction, at what altitude and at what speed it is approaching their position. A sense and understanding of space, time and speed help immensely.

Technical aids can contribute to improving the quality of the air situation picture, but sometimes also have disadvantages. Radar devices that are optimized to detect low-flying aircraft, for example, can provide the enemy with an indication of the presence of MANPADS in the area in question. As actively transmitting components, such radars can of course also be countered. Too much technology in the organization around the MANPADS can therefore also rob the system of part of its greatest advantage – its minimal and therefore difficult to detect “footprint”.

The goal

Today, targets for MANPADS are all enemy aircraft in the power range of guided weapons, be they unmanned drones, cruise missiles, helicopters or aircraft. Various protection systems for aircraft against MANPADS have been established for many years. The best known of these are dropable pyrotechnic decoys – known as “flares” – which are designed to confuse the missile’s infrared seeker. In general, however, the ability of such systems to effectively protect aircraft is decreasing. The quality of the electro-optical components installed in MANPADS and the computing power of the microelectronics are constantly increasing. At the same time, the industry is trying to equip the missiles with increasingly smokeless engines. In general, pilots report that only fully automatic systems offer any prospect of successful defense due to the extremely short time windows.

Optical detectors, which recognize the infrared signature of the rocket engines and, in conjunction with other systems, direct the “energy beams” at the rocket, are known to be the state of the art in defence technology. This can be bundled laser light or intense electromagnetic radiation to disrupt the electronics.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR