SACLOS or IR

[Pendekar]

I've been reading some article about the british involvement in the first gulf war. in one of them, i'm quite surprise when i read that the british infantries were supplied with the US made stinger. i mean, the british have their own manpads right? the blowpipes and the starbursts. why they turn to stinger instead? is there a weaknesses in the laser beam riding?

 

[Aussie Digger]

I believe only British Special Forces used Stinger in the Gulf War. This is more than likely due to Stinger being a true manpad system, whereas as systems such as Javelin and Blowpipe operate from firing posts etc. Stingers can be fired from the back of "pinkies"...

 

[highsea]

Ad, what's a "pinky"? 2nd, Q. out of curiosity...was anything actually shot down, or were these stingers just dead weight? I thought we took care of all the air threats from the air...