Managing the threat of manpads use against civil aviation

The research results presented in this study concern selected aspects of the threat to civil aviation with terrorist attacks using the Man-Portable Air Defense System – MANPADS. The authors assess the possibility of the development of this type of threat, paying attention to several most important premises resulting from the suitability of using this type of weapon by terrorists against civilian aircraft. On the basis of the results obtained from the conducted research, the authors assess the current state of possession of this type of weapon by terrorist organizations in the world and indicate the main sources of obtaining MANPADS. The cases of incidents related to attacks on civil aircraft presented in the material indicate a high mortality rate of this type of events, the main victims of which are passengers and aircraft crews. The last part of the discussion is an overview of modern on-board systems designed to protect civil aircraft against MANPADS attacks, which they may soon be equipped with.