De Naald, Heemstede

De Naald (the Needle) is a monument in Heemstede, Netherlands, erected in 1817 by the city council to commemorate two battles on the Manpad road running next to the site. The site is at the corner of the Manpad, and Herenweg, on property belonging to the estate 'Huis te Manpad'.

Inscription

Witte van Haemstede
Grave Floris zoon van Holland
en van
de brave burgers van Haerlem
die met hem
de vreemde MANNEN langs dit PAD
verdreven den XXVI April MCCCIIII
en ter eere van hen
die tot ontzet van Haerlem
bij dit MANNEPAD hun leven waagden
den VIII Julij MDLXXIII"

Translation: To honor Witte van Haemstede, son of Count Floris V of Holland, and of the brave citizens of Haarlem who with him, drove away the foreign men along this road on the 26th of April 1304 and to honor those who risked their lives here to relieve Haarlem's siege on July 8, 1573.

History

Man-portable air-defense system

Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). They are typically guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters.

Overview

MANPADS were developed in the 1940s to provide military ground forces with protection from enemy aircraft. They have received a great deal of attention, partly because armed groups have used them against commercial airliners. These missiles, affordable and widely available through a variety of sources, have been used successfully over the past three decades both in military conflicts, as well as by terrorist organizations.

Twenty-five countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden and Russia produce man-portable air defense systems. Possession, export, and trafficking in such weapons is officially tightly controlled, due to the threat they pose to civil aviation, although such efforts have not always been successful.

The missiles are about 1.5 to 1.8 m (5 to 6 ft) in length and weigh about 17 to 18 kg (37 to 40 lb), depending on the model. Shoulder-fired SAMs generally have a target detection range of about 10 km (6 mi) and an engagement range of about 6 km (4 mi), so aircraft flying at 6,100 metres (20,000 ft) or higher are relatively safe. However, the FIM-92 Stinger (1996 version) has a range of 26,000 feet.