MANPADS Transfers Reported to the UN Arms Register 


In the wrong hands, Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) pose an acute threat to military and civilian aircraft. The US State Department estimates that, since the 1970s, approximately 40 civilian aircraft have been struck by MANPADS, resulting in 28 crashes and the loss of more than 800 lives. Hundreds more military aircraft have been shot down.

The international community has pursued several important initiatives aimed at preventing the acquisition and use of MANPADS by terrorists, criminals and insurgents. A critical prerequisite for the success of many of these initiatives is transparency, particularly in the international trade in MANPADS. In an effort to promote transparency and accountability, the UN General Assembly endorsed a 2003 recommendation by the Group of Governmental Experts on the UN Register of Conventional Arms to add MANPADS to list of weapons covered by the Register.

The table below lists imports, exports and military holdings of MANPADS declared by UN Member States to the Register for the years 2003 through 2009. For purposes of the Register, MANPADS are defined as "...surface-to-air missile systems designed to be man-portable and carried and fired by a single individual and; other suface to air missile systems designed to be operated an fired by more than one individual acting as a crew and portable by several individual." "Transfers," according to the reporting guidelines for the Register, involve both the "physical movement of equipment into or from national territory..." and the "transfer of title to and control over the equipment." Only transfers "considered to have been effected during the reporting year" are to be reported to the Register. Note that states are only requested to report on transfers of complete units (missiles and launchers) or individual launchers. Missiles transferred without launchers do not have to be reported. Note also that only stand-alone launchers are reported in category VII. Launchers mounted on ships, planes and wheeled vehicles that are "considered to be an integral component" of the platform itself are not reported in the Register category for "Missiles and missile launcher" (Category VII).

The table below is divided by country into six distinct columns containing the following data: (1) the year of the transaction; (2) the country name; (3) the model of the transferred item; (4) the exporting or importing country (5) mirror data (i.e. data from importers that correspond to declarations by exports and data from exporters that correspond to declarations by importers); and (6) comments regarding the transfer as submitted by the reporting state.

The data in this table was taken verbatim from the UN Arms Register Database and therefore contains any inconsistencies and grammatical errors that were in the original text.

Compiled by Scoville Fellow Matt Buongiorno
October 2009

Argentina | Australia | Azerbaijan | Bangladesh | Belarus | Belgium | Bulgaria | Finland | Germany | Greece Hungary | Italy | Jordan | Kuwait | Latvia | Lithuania | The Netherlands | New Zealand | Poland | Romania   Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | Ukraine | United States

Year Country Name Sender/Recipient Comments
ARGENTINA
2008 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 6 RBS-70    
2007 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 6 RBS-70   Exporter State = Sweden
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AUSTRALIA
2008 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings Ground to Air: Bollide, RBS-70   Missile numbers are classified.
2007 Import Bollide FROM Sweden Number of items = Classified
  Export      
  Military Holdings Ground to Air: Bollide, RBS-70   Missile numbers are classified.
2006 Import Bollide (Ground to Air) FROM Sweden Missile numbers classified
  Export      
  Military Holdings      
2003 Import RBS 70 FROM Sweden Missile numbers classified.
  Export      
  Military Holdings      
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AZERBAIJAN
2008 Import 18 9M36-1 "Strela-3" FROM Ukraine Missile
    10 9P58M "Strela-3" FROM Ukraine Missile launcher
  Export      
  Military Holdings      
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BANGLADESH
2007 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 95 Mistral    
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BELARUS
2003 Import      
  Export 4 9M313 missiles TO Sweden Dispatched from territory of exporter
  Military Holdings      
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BELGIUM
2008 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 95 Mistral    
2007 Import      
  Export 3 Mistral (ATLAS) TO France  
  Military Holdings 95 Mistral    
2006 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 100 Mistral    
2005 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 118 Mistral    
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BULGARIA
2007 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1828 (MANPADS)   Nil pocurement through national production
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FINLAND
2008 Import 10 RBS70 FROM Sweden State of Origin = Israel
  Export      
  Military Holdings      
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GERMANY
2006 Import      
  Export 1 RBS-70 TO Finland  
    1 Manpads LFK Bolide TO Finland  
  Military Holdings      
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GREECE
2007 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 631 MANPADS   Limited information due to Security Regulations
2006 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 631 MANPADS   Limited information due to Security Regulations
2005 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 631 MANPADS   Limited information due to Security Regulations
2004 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1172 MANPADS   Limited information due to Security Regulations
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HUNGARY
2007 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1 9P58M (Strela-2) MANPADS launcher   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    64 9P519 (Igla) MANPADS launchers   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    45 Mistral-2 MANPADS launchers   State of Origin = France
2006 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1 9P58M (Strela-2) MANPADS launcher   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    64 9P519 (Igla) MANPADS launchers   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    45 Mistral-2 MANPADS launchers   State of Origin = France
2005 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1540 9M32M (Strela-2) MANPADS   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    243 9P58M (Strela-2) Launcher   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    119 9M313 (Igla) MANPADS   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    61 9P519 (Igla) Launcher   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    158 Mistral-2 MANPADS   State of Origin = France
    45 Mistral-2 Launchers   State of Origin = France
2004 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 243 9P58M (Strela-2) MANPADS    
    61 9P519 (Igla) MANPADS    
    45 Mistral-2 MANPADS    
2003 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 243 9P58M (Strela-2) MANPADS   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    61 9P519 (Igla) MANPADS   State of Origin = Soviet Union
    45 Mistral-2 MANPADS   State of Origin = France
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ITALY
2008 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 276 MANPADS    
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JORDAN
2007 Import 182 Igla-S launcher FROM Russia  
  Export      
  Military Holdings      
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KUWAIT
2005 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 47 Starburst missiles    
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LATVIA
2007 Import 8 FROM Sweden MANPADS
  Export      
  Military Holdings      
2006 Import 94 RBS-70 FROM Sweden  
  Export      
  Military Holdings      
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LITHUANIA
2008 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 20 RBS-70 (launchers)    
    8 Stinger (launchers)    
2007 Import 8 Stinger FROM United States  
  Export      
  Military Holdings 20 RBS-70 (launchers)    
    8 Stinger (launchers)    
2006 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 20 RBS-70 (launchers)    
2005 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 20 RBS-70 (launchers)    
2004 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 20 RBS-70 (launchers)    
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THE NETHERLANDS
2008 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1677   Due to security regulations only the grand total is given / 41 MANPADS have been fired.
2007 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1718   Due to security regulations only the grand total is given / 54 MANPADS have been fired.
2006 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1772   DUE TO SECURITY REGULATIONS ONLY THE GRAND TOTAL IS GIVEN / MANPADS: 46 MANPADS HAVE BEEN FIRED.
2005 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1857   DUE TO SECURITY REGULATIONS ONLY THE GRAND TOTAL IS GIVEN / MANPADS: 106x MANPADS WERE FIRED.
2004 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1963   Due to security regulations only the grand total is given / MANPADS 27x MANPADS were fired / 4x MANPADS have been destroyed by Germany.
2004 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 1994   DUE TO SECURITY REGULATIONS ONLY THE GRAND TOTAL IS GIVEN
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NEW ZEALAND
2008 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 12   man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS): The air defence troop has 12 launchers (5 in their original configuration and 7 with updated Acquisition and Cueing System (VACS) firing Mistral missiles
2006 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 12   12 x Mistral VLLAD Manpad Systems
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POLAND
2007 Import      
  Export 100 "Grom", MANPADS TO Nil Ministry of Defence
  Military Holdings      
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ROMANIA
2008 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 40 Strela-2   Nil procurement through national production
    229 CA-94   Nil procurement through national production
2007 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 40 Strela-2   Nil procurement through national production
    229 CA-94   Nil procurement through national production
2006 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 269 Strela-2   Nil procurement through national production
    269 CA-94   Nil procurement through national production
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SPAIN
2008 Import 32 Mistral FROM France Licenses ESMDDUM013452 & ESMDDUM012811
  Export      
  Military Holdings      
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SWEDEN
2008 Import      
  Export RBS-70 Missiles and missile launcher TO Finland  
  Military Holdings 90 RBS-70 (launchers)   Nil procurement through national production
2007 Import      
  Export RBS-70 Missiles TO Australia  
    RBS-70 Missiles TO Czech Republic  
    RBS-70 Missiles TO Finland  
    RBS-70 Missiles TO Latvia  
  Military Holdings 473 RBS-70 (launchers)   Nil procurement through national production
2006 Import      
  Export RBS-70 Missiles TO Australia  
    RBS-70 Missiles TO Czech Republic  
    RBS-70 Missiles TO Finland  
  Military Holdings 473 RBS-70 (launchers)   Nil procurement through national production
2005 Import      
  Export RBS-70 Missiles TO Australia  
    RBS-70 Missiles TO Thailand  
    RBS-70 Missiles TO Germany  
    RBS-70 Missiles TO Czech Republic  
  Military Holdings 500 RBS-70 (launchers)   Nil procurement through national production
2004 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings 525 RBS-70 (launchers)   Nil procurement through national production
2003 Import      
  Export RBS 70 Missiles Mk2 TO Australia  
  Military Holdings 525 RBS-70 (launchers)   Nil procurement through national production
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SWITZERLAND
2008 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings Some STINGER   Switzerland does not have missiles with a range of at least 25km, STINGER (voluntary information)
2007 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings Some STINGER   Switzerland does not have missiles with a range of at least 25km, STINGER (voluntary information)
2006 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings Some STINGER   Switzerland does not have missiles with a range of at least 25km, STINGER (voluntary information)
2005 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings some STINGERs    
2004 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings some Stinger    
2003 Import      
  Export      
  Military Holdings some Stinger    
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UKRAINE
2008 Import      
  Export 120 9M313 "Igla-1" TO United States Missiles
    9 P519 "Igla-1" TO United States Launching mechanisms
    25 9P58 "Strela2M" TO United States Launching mechanisms
    18 9M36-1 "Strela-3" TO United States Missiles
    10 9P58M "Strela-3" To Azerbaijan Launching mechanisms
  Military Holdings      
2007 Import      
  Export 18 9P519 TO United States Launching mechanisms
  Military Holdings      
2006 Import      
  Export 71 9M313 "Igra-1" TO United States Missiles
    99 9M39 "Igra" TO United States Missiles
  Military Holdings      
2005 Import      
  Export 29 9M39 "Igla" TO United States Missiles
    6 9P516 TO United States Launching mechanisms
  Military Holdings      
2003 Import      
  Export 10 TO United States 9P516 launching mechanism (Igla anti-aircraft missile system)
    29 TO United States 9M39 missiles (SA-18) for Igla anti-aircraft missile system
  Military Holdings      
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UNITED STATES
2006 Import      
  Export 4 Stinger launchers TO Japan  
    1 Stinger launcher TO Singapore  
  Military Holdings