State Department Targets Stores of Shoulder-fired Missiles

US State Department, Shoulder-fired missiles in the hands of terrorists and insurgents pose a serious danger to military and civilian aircraft, says John Hillen, U.S. assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. 
 
The State Department, he said, is asking Congress for funding flexibility in its efforts to reduce or destroy surplus stocks of these portable missiles, commonly known as MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems). 
 
In testimony prepared for a House International Relations subcommittee March 30, Hillen said the department estimates that, since the 1970s, these missiles have hit more than 40 civilian aircraft and caused more than 600 deaths.