Starburst

Starburst was a British man-portable air-defense missile produced by Shorts Missile Systems in Belfast, later part of Thales Air Defence. It evolved from the earlier Javelin line while adopting laser beam-riding guidance concepts closer to the later Starstreak family. The system entered British service around the 1990 Gulf War period as a short-range defense against aircraft and helicopters.

Technically, Starburst combined a sealed missile canister with a reusable sighting and targeting system. The missile used beam-riding guidance and could be fired from a shoulder launcher or from a Lightweight Multiple Launcher carrying three missiles. Compared with earlier command-guided systems, beam riding offered improved resistance to some countermeasures, though Starburst was soon overtaken by the higher-performance Starstreak.

Operationally, Starburst provided deployable short-range air defense for ground forces and point protection. It was deployed to protect British troops during the 1991 Gulf War and also served with other users. Its main historical role is as a transitional weapon: more capable than earlier British MANPADS but ultimately replaced by Starstreak's faster missile and distinctive dart-submunition design.