Starstreak
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Starstreak is a British short-range surface-to-air missile that can be used as a man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) or used in heavier systems. It is manufactured by Thales Air Defence in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is also known as Starstreak HVM. After launch, the missile accelerates to more than Mach 4, making it the fastest short-range surface-to-air missile in existence. It then launches three laser beam-riding submunitions, increasing the likelihood of a successful hit on the target. Starstreak has been in service with the British Army since 1997. In 2012 Thales relaunched the system as ForceSHIELD.
A British Royal Artillery soldier protects an airfield with a man-portable Starstreak HVM system
Starstreak LML emplacement used in training on Dartmoor, England; one of the three missiles has been fired
Starstreak missile on display at the Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo, September 2006
A Starstreak, just after being launched from an AN/TWQ-1 Avenger mobile, short-range air-defence platform
Surface-to-air missile
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A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft system; in modern armed forces, missiles have replaced most other forms of dedicated anti-aircraft weapons, with anti-aircraft guns pushed into specialized roles.
A pair of S-300 missiles being launched
A Wasserfall missile lifts off during a test flight.
Nike Ajax was the first operational SAM system.
SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missiles, one of the most widely deployed SAM systems in the world