Security
State Department: Manpads Remain a Threat
The U.S.

The U.S. Department of State has issued a new report warning that thousands of man-portable air defense systems (Manpads) remain unaccounted for and may be “outside the control of national governments,” posing threats to the commercial aviation industry and military aircraft around the world.

According to the department, countering the proliferation of Manpads is a top U.S. national security priority. While the U.S. government and other nations have destroyed more than 32,500 of the shoulder-fired surface-to-air weapons in more than 30 countries since 2003, more than one million Manpads have been made worldwide since they were introduced in 1967.