What Is Starstreak? Ukraine Says It Is 'Ready To Use' Fastest Laser-Guided Missile Ever

Ukraine has a new addition to its arsenal, the Starstreak man-portable air defense system, which it procured from Britain. According to the defending troops, the anti-aircraft system is "ready to be used imminently."

The immediate deployment of Starstreak main-portable air defense system (MANPADS) against the invading Russian troops was announced by U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace Sunday. Wallace told The Mail on Sunday that Ukrainian troops have completed training in the fastest anti-aircraft missile in the world that will present a severe threat to Russian aircraft.

While reports from the warzone have cited how successful the use of MANPADS had been against the much-stronger Russian troops, the Starstreak is unlike any other surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).

According to The Drive, the Starstreak missiles follow a laser beam guidance system rather than a heat-seeking guidance system. This means that when most MANPADS infrared seeker head needs to become locked onto the target’s heat signature before it’s launched, the operator of Starsteak can fire it as soon as the target is detected in the optically stabilized sight.

The technology also makes it immune to being spoofed by flares or other heat sources. It is also effectively immune to countermeasures.

Besides, the Starsteak can be engaged against smaller targets that are visible to the operator. This also includes those with infrared signatures that might be insufficient for a heat-seeking missile to track.

Unlike other MANPADS, Starstreak is not a single missile with a traditional warhead. Instead, this has three tungsten darts each weighing 450g, that are released from the missile body. Once they have penetrated the target, the darts explode, each one carrying a fragmentation warhead. This will also reduce the risk of collateral damage. It also has a range of seven kilometers.

The missiles will prove particularly deadly for helicopters, giving pilots little time to react as they are slower than jets, added reports. The Starstreak travels at a speed of 2,000 mph, giving the target little chance of escape within a very brief engagement window, or 'unmasking time.'

"Anything traveling at Mach 2.5 kinetically is going to have some serious impact," The Times quoted a senior defense official during its demonstration. Britain had then claimed that Russian pilots would think twice about getting into their planes once Ukrainians start firing Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles.

Ever since the invasion began, the Ukrainian resistance is often synonymous with the MANPADS. From American-made Javelins to Stinger FIM-92 surface-to-air missiles, images of Ukrainian troops carrying MANPADS on their shoulders are now a symbol of the defending force.