Interagency MANPADS Task Force

What are MANPADS?

MANPADS (man-portable air defense system) are shoulder-fired surface-toair missiles first developed in the 1960s to help legitimate armed forces defend against air attacks. A single individual or crew can carry and fire MANPADS. Their relative compactness makes them easy to transport and conceal. Some of the most commonly produced MANPADS can fit into an automobile trunk. In the hands of terrorists, criminals, or other non-state actors, MANPADS pose a serious threat to commercial and military aircraft around the world.

Most MANPADS consist of three major components: a missile packaged in a tube, a reusable trigger mechanism (“gripstock”), and a battery or battery cooling unit. The tube, which protects the missile until it is fired, is disposable. The single use battery powers the missile for a short period prior to launch. MANPADS are usually 1.2 to 2 meters (4 feet to 6.5 feet) in length, about 76 millimeters (3 inches) in diameter and weigh about 13 to 25 kilograms (28.6 to 55.1 pounds). MANPADS missiles can travel at twice the speed of sound and hit aircraft flying as high as 4.57 kilometers (about 15,000 feet) out to a horizontal range of up to 5 kilometers (3.1 miles).

The Interagency MANPADS Task Force

Since 1973, more than 40 civilian airliners have been hit by MANPADS. In 2002, terrorists used two MANPADS to try to shoot down an Israeli civilian airliner in Mombasa, Kenya. In 2006, National Security Presidential Directive 47 (NSPD-47) established a comprehensive strategy for aviation security to guide the U.S. government in dealing with evolving threats to aviation. NSPD-47 includes the International MANPADS Threat Reduction Plan, which established the Interagency MANPADS Task Force (MTF) to coordinate a comprehensive approach to counter illicit MANPADS proliferation and mitigate the threat of MANPADS held by terrorist groups and other violent non-state actors. The MTF is comprised of representatives from numerous departments and agencies and is chaired by the Department of State.

Response to MANPADS Threat

In recent years, arms traffickers and violent extremists have looted MANPADS and other advanced conventional weapons from unsecured state stockpiles in Libya, Syria, and Yemen, making efforts to reduce the threat to aviation even more crucial. PM/WRA’s stockpile security management and CWD programs, which have resulted in the reduction of over 39,000 MANPADS, are critical to preventing further illicit proliferation of these dangerous weapons.

The MTF engages foreign partners to advance cooperation on MANPADS threat mitigation and counter-proliferation initiatives. Foreign partners play a vital role in raising international awareness, curbing illicit proliferation, and mitigating local and regional MANPADS threats.

The MTF also helps countries incorporate MANPADS recognition training in their border and security training programs. This helps prevent the illicit trafficking of MANPADS by teaching essential personnel to recognize and seize them and other advanced conventional weapons when discovered. In 2018, over 400 individuals from 16 countries received the training.

In addition, the U.S. government—through its Transportation Security Administration—has conducted more than 73 MANPADS Assist Visits (MAV) and basic training programs at airports around the world. MAV and related training programs help build the capacity of partners to identify and mitigate potential MANPADS threats at international airports. http://www.state.gov/t/pm/wra

U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Dan Bailey, EOD Technical Advisor for PM/WRA and the Inter-Agency MANPADS Task Force inspects an SA-7 MANPADS.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.