Starstreak
British man-portable/vehicle mounted surface-to-air missile
Why this is trending
Interest in “Starstreak” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-25.
Categorised under Science & Nature, this article fits a familiar pattern. Science and technology topics tend to trend after breakthroughs, space missions, health announcements, or widely shared research findings.
GlyphSignal tracks these patterns daily, turning raw Wikipedia traffic data into a curated feed of what the world is curious about. Every spike tells a story.
Key Takeaways
- Starstreak is a British short-range surface-to-air missile that can be used as a man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) or used in heavier systems.
- It is also known as Starstreak HVM (High Velocity Missile).
- It then launches three laser beam-riding submunitions, increasing the likelihood of a successful hit on the target.
- In 2012 Thales relaunched the system as ForceSHIELD .
- A General Staff Requirement (GSR 3979) was drawn up with the requirements of the system, specifying the requirement of three launch platforms for the missile: A self-propelled launcher.
Starstreak is a British short-range surface-to-air missile that can be used as a man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) or used in heavier systems. It is manufactured by Thales Air Defence (formerly Shorts Missile Systems) in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is also known as Starstreak HVM (High Velocity Missile). After launch, the missile accelerates to more than Mach 4, making it the fastest short-range surface-to-air missile in existence. It then launches three laser beam-riding submunitions, increasing the likelihood of a successful hit on the target. Starstreak has been in service with the British Army since 1997. In 2012 Thales relaunched the system as ForceSHIELD.
Development
Development on the missile began in the early 1980s after an evaluation of missile and gun options to increase air defence capabilities showed that a high-velocity missile system would best meet the needs and could also replace existing shoulder-launched missiles. A General Staff Requirement (GSR 3979) was drawn up with the requirements of the system, specifying the requirement of three launch platforms for the missile:
- A self-propelled launcher.
- A three-round lightweight launcher.
- A man-portable launcher.
In 1984, the British Ministry of Defence awarded development contracts to British Aerospace (BAe) and Shorts Missile Systems; the BAe missile was known as Thunderbolt HVM. Shorts won the competition and were awarded £356 million. Further development and a production contract materialized in November 1986, and the missile was officially accepted into service in September 1997. The missile was intended to replace the Javelin surface-to-air missile in British service. The LML and shoulder-launched versions have been in use since 2000.
In July 2001, Thales received a contract for a successor identification friend or foe system for Starstreak.
Content sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0
