Blowpipe (missile) vs Piorun (missile)

FORCETALLY

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APortable air defence

Blowpipe (missile)

Man-portable air-defense systems

Piorun (missile) — licensed reference photograph

BPortable air defence

Piorun (missile)

Man-portable air-defense system

Credit

Michał Derela · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Blowpipe (missile)Length

1.35 m

Length source ↗

Piorun (missile)Length

1.596 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Blowpipe (missile)larger figure on 2 of 3

Diameter+6%
Warhead mass+21%

Piorun (missile)larger figure on 1 of 3

Length+18%

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

19 of 28 rows sourced on both sides

1.35m

1.6m

Length+18%

All recorded figures & sources

1.35 m

Length

Single source

1.35 m (4 ft 5 in)^[source]

1.596 m

Length

Single source

Configuration

Details

Blowpipe (missile) and Piorun (missile) configuration
Specification	Blowpipe (missile)	Piorun (missile)
Type	Man-portable air-defense systems^[source]	Man-portable air-defense system^[source]
Place of origin	United Kingdom^[source]	Poland^[source]
In service	1975–present^[source]	2019 ( 2019 ) –present^[source]
Used by	See Operators^[source]	See Operators

Wars	Falklands War Soviet–Afghan War Gulf War Cenepa War^[source]	Russian invasion of Ukraine^[source]

Designer	Short Brothers^[source]	—

Designed	1975^[source]	2010 ( 2010 ) –2015 ( 2015 )^[source]

Manufacturer	Short Brothers^[source]	Mesko^[source]

Produced	1975 to 1993^[source]	2016 ( 2016 ) –present^[source]

No. built	34,382^[source]	3,000 (as of early 2025)^[source]

Warhead	Shaped charge^[source]	HMX with aluminium powder^[source]

Engine	Solid rocket motor^[source]	Solid-fuel rocket motor^[source]

Guidance system	MCLOS system^[source]	infrared homing with argon -cooled seeker^[source]

Role	man-portable (MANPADS) surface-to-air missile^[source]	—

Source measurement	After Blowpipe began to enter service, it was decided it would replace the Bofors 40mm/L70 guns in service with the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve . The first such unit was formed in July 1978 in Northern Ireland . In February 1980 it was decided to increase the number of such units, and a further £20 million order was placed to equip another 12 units, bringing the total to 48.^[source]Blowpipe (missile) · History / Development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The Blowpipe's guidance is initially semi-automatic with the missile gathered to the centre of the sight's crosshairs by the infrared optic atop the aiming unit. Two to three seconds after launch, missile guidance is switched to fully MCLOS mode and the operator regains full control of the missile. The operator has to steer the missile all the way to its target manually via a small thumb joystick . The operator can opt not to use auto-gathering when engaging low flying targets such as helicopters but then has to super-elevate the launcher to ensure that the missile does not hit the ground. Four flares in the tail of the missile make it visible in flight, first to the infrared optic, then to the operator. Detonation is either by proximity or contact fuse . In emergencies, the operator can end an engagement by shutting off the power to the transmitter with the system switch, after which the missile will immediately self-destruct. The aiming unit can then be removed from the empty missile container and fitted to a new round.^[source]Blowpipe (missile) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Blowpipe was used by both sides during the Falklands War in 1982. With targets typically being fast-flying aircraft approaching at low altitude and using the terrain for cover, the Blowpipe operator had about 20 seconds to detect, align, and fire. Brigadier Julian Thompson compared using the weapon to "trying to shoot pheasants with a drainpipe". British forces fired 95 missiles during the conflict, of which approximately half suffered various failures. Only one confirmed kill was attributed to Blowpipe when an Argentine Navy Aermacchi MB-339A (4-A-114) was shot down on 28 May by a missile fired by the Royal Marines Air Defence Troop during the Battle of Goose Green . The pilot, Sub-Lieutenant Miguel, was killed.^[source]Blowpipe (missile) · Combat performance; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Blowpipe was found to be particularly ineffective when used to engage a crossing target or to chase a target moving rapidly away from the operator. Its poor performance led to it being withdrawn from British service. In 1986, some of the mothballed units were sent clandestinely to equip the Mujahideen whom Britain was supporting , fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan . The system again proved ineffective, and was eventually supplanted by the US Stinger missile. While Blowpipe was available on the international arms market and therefore its origins were open to speculation, the Stinger was restricted, which at the time indicated a more open acknowledgement of Western support for the Mujahideen. With the arrival of Stinger, Blowpipe was used primarily as a manually-guided long-range weapon against ground targets. Blowpipe missile systems were still being found in weapon caches as recently as May 2012 in Afghanistan.^[source]Blowpipe (missile) · Combat performance; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage	—

Source measurement

After Blowpipe began to enter service, it was decided it would replace the Bofors 40mm/L70 guns in service with the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve . The first such unit was formed in July 1978 in Northern Ireland . In February 1980 it was decided to increase the number of such units, and a further £20 million order was placed to equip another 12 units, bringing the total to 48.^[source]Blowpipe (missile) · History / Development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The Blowpipe's guidance is initially semi-automatic with the missile gathered to the centre of the sight's crosshairs by the infrared optic atop the aiming unit. Two to three seconds after launch, missile guidance is switched to fully MCLOS mode and the operator regains full control of the missile. The operator has to steer the missile all the way to its target manually via a small thumb joystick . The operator can opt not to use auto-gathering when engaging low flying targets such as helicopters but then has to super-elevate the launcher to ensure that the missile does not hit the ground. Four flares in the tail of the missile make it visible in flight, first to the infrared optic, then to the operator. Detonation is either by proximity or contact fuse . In emergencies, the operator can end an engagement by shutting off the power to the transmitter with the system switch, after which the missile will immediately self-destruct. The aiming unit can then be removed from the empty missile container and fitted to a new round.^[source]Blowpipe (missile) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Blowpipe was used by both sides during the Falklands War in 1982. With targets typically being fast-flying aircraft approaching at low altitude and using the terrain for cover, the Blowpipe operator had about 20 seconds to detect, align, and fire. Brigadier Julian Thompson compared using the weapon to "trying to shoot pheasants with a drainpipe". British forces fired 95 missiles during the conflict, of which approximately half suffered various failures. Only one confirmed kill was attributed to Blowpipe when an Argentine Navy Aermacchi MB-339A (4-A-114) was shot down on 28 May by a missile fired by the Royal Marines Air Defence Troop during the Battle of Goose Green . The pilot, Sub-Lieutenant Miguel, was killed.^[source]Blowpipe (missile) · Combat performance; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Blowpipe was found to be particularly ineffective when used to engage a crossing target or to chase a target moving rapidly away from the operator. Its poor performance led to it being withdrawn from British service. In 1986, some of the mothballed units were sent clandestinely to equip the Mujahideen whom Britain was supporting , fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan . The system again proved ineffective, and was eventually supplanted by the US Stinger missile. While Blowpipe was available on the international arms market and therefore its origins were open to speculation, the Stinger was restricted, which at the time indicated a more open acknowledgement of Western support for the Mujahideen. With the arrival of Stinger, Blowpipe was used primarily as a manually-guided long-range weapon against ground targets. Blowpipe missile systems were still being found in weapon caches as recently as May 2012 in Afghanistan.^[source]Blowpipe (missile) · Combat performance; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

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