9 Portable Air Defense Missiles That Changed the Rules of Air Combat

7.  Starstreak HVM: Breaking the Speed Barrier

With their unusual multiple dart warhead and laser beam riding guidance, the British Starstreak High Velocity Missile system transformed MANPADS technology. Representing the fastest short-range surface-to----air missile in use, capable of reaching speeds above Mach 4 The three-dart warhead design of the system guarantees better terminal effects and raises the target interception probability. Unlike typical MANPADS, Starstreak's guiding technology basically makes it impossible to jam or fool with standard countermeasures. The system's remarkable speed also greatly shortens the reaction time of the target, thereby making evasion quite challenging.