The_Hit

 Copilot:

Maduro extradition; tell me about that one US helicopter that was hit. By whom or what??

Here’s what the reporting says so far, Louise — and it’s surprisingly consistent across outlets.

🚁 What happened to the U.S. helicopter?

According to multiple news reports, one U.S. helicopter was hit during the raid to capture Nicolás Maduro. The key details:

President Trump confirmed that a helicopter “was hit pretty hard” during the operation, but it made it back safely and no aircraft were lost.

U.S. special‑operations helicopters were exchanging fire with Venezuelan air defenses as they flew low over Caracas toward and away from Maduro’s compound.

The raid involved drones, helicopters, fighter jets, and cyber operations, and Venezuelan forces were actively trying to repel the attack.

🧭 So who or what hit the helicopter?

Based on the reporting:

✔️ Most likely: Venezuelan air defenses

USA Today explicitly states that U.S. helicopters “exchanged fire with Venezuelan air defenses” during ingress and egress.

That strongly implies the hit came from ground‑based Venezuelan military units, not random gunfire.

✔️ Possibly small‑arms or anti‑aircraft fire

The operation involved:

Low‑altitude helicopter flight through urban Caracas

Venezuelan troops firing at them

Active air‑defense sites being struck by U.S. jets at the same time

Yahoo News also describes “drones, helicopters and fighter planes” buzzing the area amid missile fire and explosions.

❌ No evidence of:

A missile bringing it down

A drone collision

Friendly fire

Mechanical failure

Everything points to enemy fire from Venezuelan forces.

🧩 Why the helicopter survived

U.S. special‑operations helicopters (likely MH‑47G or MH‑60 variants) are built to take hits:

Armored crew compartments

Redundant systems

Self‑sealing fuel tanks

Infrared countermeasures

Trump emphasized that despite being “hit pretty hard,” the aircraft returned safely and no U.S. aircraft were lost.

If you want, I can break down:

Which helicopter models were likely used

What Venezuelan air‑defense systems were in range

How low‑altitude SOF helicopter tactics work in urban raids

Just tell me where you want to go next.

What defense system might it have been?

Here’s the clean, evidence‑based breakdown, Louise — grounded directly in the reporting we just pulled.

🎯 What Venezuelan system likely hit the U.S. helicopter?

Based on the search results, the most likely culprit is a Russian-made MANPADS, specifically the Igla shoulder‑fired missile system.

🟦 1. Russian Igla MANPADS (most likely)

Daily Mail reporting explicitly describes:

A Venezuelan soldier firing a Russian Igla MANPADS at a U.S. helicopter near Fuerte Tiuna.

The missile missed, and the helicopter returned fire seconds later.

This is the only system directly confirmed in reporting as having fired at a helicopter during the raid.

🟦 2. Other Venezuelan air-defense systems in the area

Venezuela’s inventory includes several Russian systems, but none are reported as having successfully engaged U.S. aircraft during the raid:

                                                                                   

🟦 3. Could it have been small-arms fire?

Possible, but less likely.

USA Today only says helicopters “exchanged fire with Venezuelan air defenses” — which usually refers to military air-defense units, not random rifle fire.

Given:

The helicopters were flying low over Caracas

Venezuelan forces were actively firing

A MANPADS launch is confirmed on video

…the Igla is the best match.

🧩 So what actually hit the helicopter?

We don’t have a line saying “the helicopter was hit by X,” but combining all reporting:

Most likely:

➡️ A near-miss or glancing hit from an Igla MANPADS  

or

➡️ Fragmentation from a MANPADS warhead detonating nearby

Less likely:

➡️ 23mm anti-aircraft fire (possible but unreported)

Very unlikely:

➡️ Buk or S‑300 — these systems were reportedly suppressed and never effectively engaged.

If you want, I can break down:

How an Igla works and why a helicopter can survive a hit

Why Venezuela’s S‑300s failed so badly

How U.S. helicopters counter MANPADS in urban raids

Just tell me which direction you want to explore.

How do MANPADS work?

Here’s a clear, structured breakdown of how MANPADS work — no drama, just the physics and engineering behind them. Given your knack for connecting systems to real‑world constraints, you’ll probably appreciate how elegant (and limited) these weapons actually are.

🎯 How MANPADS Work (Mechanics, Sensors, and Engagement Cycle)

MANPADS = Man‑Portable Air Defense Systems  

They’re shoulder‑fired, heat‑seeking missiles designed to hit low‑flying aircraft like helicopters, drones, and transport planes.

Think of them as guided fireworks with a brain, optimized for speed, simplicity, and portability.

🔥 1. Target Acquisition: The Seeker Locks Onto Heat

Most MANPADS (including the Russian Igla family) use infrared seekers.

What the seeker “sees”:

Hot engine exhaust

Hot metal surfaces

Rotor hub heating (for helicopters)

Friction‑heated air around fast aircraft

How it locks:

The operator points the launcher at the aircraft

The seeker detects a strong IR signature

When the signal is stable enough, the launcher gives a “lock‑on” tone

The operator fires

This is why helicopters use:

IR suppressors

Exhaust mixers

Flares

Low‑altitude masking behind terrain or buildings

🚀 2. Launch: The Missile Leaves the Tube Safely

MANPADS use a two‑stage launch:

Stage 1: Ejection charge

A small charge pushes the missile out of the tube

This protects the operator from backblast

The missile coasts a few meters forward

Stage 2: Main motor ignition

Once clear of the operator, the main rocket ignites

The missile accelerates to ~Mach 1.5–2.0

This two‑stage system is why you can fire them from rooftops, forests, or tight urban spaces.

🧠 3. Mid‑Flight: The Seeker Guides the Missile

The missile uses proportional navigation — a simple but effective guidance law.

How it works:

The seeker continuously measures the angle to the target

If the angle changes, the missile adjusts its fins

The goal is to keep the target’s image centered in the seeker

This creates a curved intercept path

It’s not “smart” in the modern sense — it’s reactive, not predictive — but it’s fast and reliable.

💥 4. Terminal Phase: Proximity or Impact Detonation

Most MANPADS use:

Proximity fuzes (detonate when close enough)

Impact fuzes (detonate on contact)

The warhead is small (1–2 kg), but it’s designed to:

Shred control surfaces

Damage engines

Start fires

Rupture fuel lines

Helicopters are especially vulnerable because:

They fly slow

They have large IR signatures

Their rotors and tail assemblies are fragile

But U.S. SOF helicopters are built to survive:

Fragmentation hits

Partial system failures

Fuel tank punctures

Tail rotor damage

Which is why the one in the Maduro raid could be “hit pretty hard” yet still return.

🛡️ 5. Countermeasures: How Aircraft Defeat MANPADS

Aircraft use a layered defense:

Passive

IR suppressors

Exhaust diffusers

Low‑altitude masking

Cold‑section shielding

Active

Flares (decoys hotter than the aircraft)

DIRCM (Directed Infrared Countermeasures)

A laser dazzles the missile’s seeker

Breaks lock

Sends it off course

Tactics

Sharp turns

Terrain masking

Rapid descent

Flying nap‑of‑the‑earth

🧩 Why a helicopter can be “hit” and survive

A MANPADS hit is often:

A near miss with fragmentation damage

A glancing strike

A partial detonation

A tail or rotor strike that doesn’t fully disable the aircraft

SOF helicopters are designed with:

Redundant hydraulics

Redundant flight controls

Self‑sealing tanks

Armored crew compartments

So “hit pretty hard” doesn’t necessarily mean “catastrophic.”

If you want, I can go deeper into:

Igla vs Stinger vs Starstreak (very different guidance philosophies)

Why MANPADS struggle in urban environments

How helicopters shape their IR signature to fool seekers

Just tell me which angle you want to explore next.

An engine that is shoulder-fired yet surpasses the speed of sound seems very sophisticated to me...

It is sophisticated, Louise — but the cleverness isn’t where most people expect it. A MANPADS missile isn’t a tiny jet engine; it’s much closer to a very efficient, very fast-burning rocket. Once you see how the physics works, the “shoulder‑fired but supersonic” part feels a lot less magical.

Let me break it down in a way that fits your engineering instincts.

🚀 Why a shoulder‑fired missile can go supersonic

🌡️ 1. It uses a solid rocket motor, not an engine

There’s no turbine, compressor, or moving parts.

Just a solid propellant grain that burns extremely fast and produces a huge amount of thrust for a short time.

Think:

A firework rocket

But engineered with precision

And burning hotter, faster, and cleaner

Solid rocket motors are:

Simple

Rugged

Cheap to store

Instant‑start

Very high thrust‑to‑weight

That’s why they’re perfect for something a soldier can carry.

⚡ 2. Supersonic speed is easy when you don’t care about efficiency

Aircraft engines must:

Run for hours

Manage heat

Avoid melting

Maintain airflow stability

A MANPADS rocket motor only needs to:

Burn for 2–3 seconds

Produce a violent burst of thrust

Survive long enough to get the missile up to speed

It’s brute force, not finesse.

A typical Igla or Stinger accelerates to Mach 1.5–2.0 in seconds because:

The missile is light (10–12 kg)

The thrust is enormous relative to its mass

Aerodynamics are optimized for straight-line speed

🧠 3. The guidance system is the sophisticated part

The “smart” component isn’t the propulsion — it’s the seeker head.

Inside the nose:

A cooled infrared detector

Gyros

A tiny processor

Control surfaces driven by actuators

This is where the engineering elegance lives:

It can track a moving heat source

It can filter out flares

It can maintain lock while the missile is spinning

It can steer using proportional navigation

All in a package the size of a flashlight.

🧩 4. The launcher is just a tube

The sophistication is in the missile, not the launcher.

The tube:

Holds the missile

Provides a battery

Provides a grip and sight

Keeps the operator safe during ejection

Everything else happens after the missile leaves the tube.

🔥 5. Two-stage launch makes it safe for the operator

This is the part that surprises most people.

Stage 1: Ejection

A tiny charge pushes the missile out of the tube — like a mortar.

Stage 2: Main rocket

Only after the missile is several meters away does the main motor ignite.

That’s why you can fire it from:

Rooftops

Forests

Urban alleys

Inside vehicles (in some cases)

No giant backblast.

🎯 So yes — it’s sophisticated, but not in the “mini jet engine” way

The sophistication is:

Guidance

Seeker cooling

Counter-countermeasure logic

Compact rocket chemistry

Aerodynamic stability

The propulsion is actually the simplest part.

If you want, I can walk you through:

How the seeker filters out flares

Why the missile spins in flight

How proportional navigation works

Why helicopters are especially vulnerable

Just tell me which piece you want to unpack next.

Who makes, and sells these??

Here’s the straight, structured answer, Louise — and I’ll keep it grounded in real‑world defense‑industry facts rather than anything sensitive.

🏭 Who Makes MANPADS?

There are only a handful of major manufacturers worldwide. Each country tends to produce its own system and export it (sometimes legally, sometimes not).

🇺🇸 United States

System: FIM‑92 Stinger

Manufacturer: Raytheon (with General Dynamics producing earlier versions)

Exports:

NATO allies

Ukraine

Taiwan

Many U.S.-aligned militaries

The U.S. is extremely strict about who gets Stingers.

🇷🇺 Russia

Systems:

Igla (SA‑16/18)

Igla‑S (SA‑24)

Verba (SA‑25)

Manufacturer: KBP Instrument Design Bureau (Tula)

Exports:

Venezuela

Syria

Iran

India

Many African and Middle Eastern states

Russia is the world’s largest exporter of MANPADS.

🇨🇳 China

Systems:

FN‑6

HN‑5 (older)

Manufacturer: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)  

Exports:

Pakistan

Myanmar

Middle East buyers

African militaries

FN‑6s have shown up in Syria and Iraq.

🇫🇷 France

System: Mistral  

Manufacturer: MBDA  

Exports:

Many NATO and EU states

Middle East

Southeast Asia

Mistral is one of the most advanced Western MANPADS.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

System: Starstreak / Starstreak HVM  

Manufacturer: Thales Air Defence  

Exports:

Malaysia

Indonesia

Ukraine

Starstreak is unique — it fires three tungsten darts at Mach 3+.

🇸🇪 Sweden

System: RBS‑70 / RBS‑90  

Manufacturer: Saab Bofors Dynamics  

Exports:

Czech Republic

Brazil

Iran (older versions)

Many others

This one is laser‑guided, not heat‑seeking.

🌍 Who Sells Them?

1. Direct government-to-government sales

Most MANPADS are sold through:

Foreign Military Sales (FMS)

Direct Commercial Sales (DCS)

State‑to‑state defense agreements

2. Russian and Chinese exports

These are the most widely proliferated because:

They’re cheaper

Export controls are looser

They’ve been sold for decades

3. Black-market circulation

Older systems (Igla, HN‑5, Stinger from the 1980s) sometimes appear in:

Conflict zones

Insurgent groups

Arms trafficking networks

But modern systems (Stinger, Igla‑S, Verba, Mistral) are tightly controlled.

🧩 So what did Venezuela use?

Venezuela’s MANPADS inventory is almost entirely Russian Igla‑S, purchased legally from Russia in the 2000s and 2010s.

That’s the system seen in the footage of Venezuelan troops firing at U.S. helicopters.

If you want, I can map out:

How Venezuela acquired its stockpile

How many they’re believed to have

How the Igla‑S compares to the Stinger

Just tell me which angle you want to explore next.

How much does one of these cost?

Here’s the clean, evidence‑based answer, Louise — grounded directly in the search results you triggered.

💰 How much does a MANPADS cost?

The price varies by model and by whether it’s bought legally from the manufacturer or appears on the gray/black market. Here’s what the sources say.

🇷🇺 Russian Igla / Igla‑S (SA‑18 / SA‑24)

According to a CIA‑archived technical brief:

$60,000–$80,000 per missile when purchased from the original Russian supplier

“Much cheaper on the black market” (no exact number given)

This aligns with what analysts typically report: Russia sells them relatively cheaply to allies, and older units circulate widely.

🇺🇸 FIM‑92 Stinger

A U.S. Army report states:

$120,000–$150,000 per new Stinger missile

This is the most expensive of the common MANPADS because:

It uses a more advanced seeker

U.S. export controls are strict

Production volumes are lower

                                                                                      

📝 Notes that matter

These prices are per missile, not including the launcher tube or training systems.

Venezuela’s stockpile consists of Russian Igla‑S, so their cost basis is in the $60–80k range.

Black‑market prices can be dramatically lower, especially for older Soviet‑era units.

If you want, I can break down:

Why the Stinger costs almost double

How much Venezuela likely paid for its Igla‑S stockpile

How many MANPADS Venezuela is believed to have

Just tell me where you want to go next.