Blowpipe missile - Definition and Overview

Blowpipe is a man-portable surface-to-air missile which was in use with the British Army.

Poor performance in the Falklands War led to it being withdrawn from UK service, with some mothballed units later being clandestinely sent to equip the Mujahideen fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. The system again proved ineffective, largely due to the very high operator input required to guide the missile from launch to impact (manual CLOS guidance). The failure of Blowpipe (a system which had been available on the international arms market and was therefore 'plausibly deniable') in Afghanistan led to the supply of the more capable (but restricted in availability) U.S. Stinger system. This necessitated a more open acknowledgment of western support for the Mujahideen.

The Blowpipe has since been superseded in UK service by the Javelin and Starstreak missiles.

Blowpipe is a mach 1.5 missile of 3.5km range.