Manpad; Azeri music (1932)

[Dave Wilton]

>    "Manpad" is not in the revised OED?  This frightening
> story is from the
> WASHINGTON TIMES, 5-31-2002:

"Manpads" has been around for ages. I thought it was strictly a US Army
acronym, but googling turns up some 1,700 sites, many non-Army, including
some UN arms control documents.

And it should have the "s" at the end; it stands for "system."

I first encountered the acronym in 1986. One of my fellow army officers was
our battalion's MANPADS Platoon Leader. The earliest citation I can come up
with is from US Army Field Manual, FM 71-2, "The Tank and Mechanized
Battalion Task Force," 27 Sep 1988, Glossary. "MANPADS    man-portable air
defense system."