NCJ Number
190406
Journal
Jane's Intelligence Review Volume: 13 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2001 Pages: 42-45
Editor(s)
Christopher C. Aaron
Date Published
September 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examined the use of Man-portable surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS) among the world’s terrorist groups and the implications facing civil and military aviation.
Abstract
Man-portable surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS) pose a significant potential threat to military and civilian aircraft. This article examined the militants most likely to use these weapons, how they can acquire them, and the countries and targets most at risk. MANPADS of various types are known to be in the hands of as many as, 27 guerrilla and terrorist groups around the world. Even though tracking the proliferation of these weapons is seen as a difficult endeavor, they have proliferated to non-state groups throughout sub-Saharan Africa as well as groups in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Somalia. During the Soviet-Afghan War, the CIA delivered over 1,000 stingers to Mujahideen rebels. When the fighting ended in 1987, hundreds of missiles remained. Poor bookkeeping at the CIA, combined with the dispersal of weapons to numerous clans throughout the country, made accounting for and recovering them impossible, resulting in a proliferation of advanced anti-aircraft weaponry throughout the region. The primary MANPAD threat in the Western Hemisphere is their use by the two main Colombian insurgent groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia and the National Liberation Army. The arms pipeline for these groups obtaining MANPADS runs through Albania, Belgium, Ecuador, Jordan, North Korea, Peru, Romania, and Russia. These weapons will most certainly be used in critical situations, such as the defense of important base camps or headquarters facilities. Charts