Mistral surface-to-air missile

The French Mistral short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) resembles the U.S. Stinger, the Russian SA-7 Grail or SA-14 Gremlin and the British Blowpipe. While these missiles are designed to be carried by one man and rested on the shoulder to fire, the Mistral's designers decided to forego such portability.

The producer, Matra, reasoned that it was more important to have a large warhead and better acquisition range than to be able to package the whole system in a one-man unit....