The only problem is Rob and Tony are now missile magnets with the proliferation of relatively inexpensive MPAD systems. Just how many Rob and Tony's are we willing to lose in order to collect signal and/or photograph intelligence? And also consider that Rob and Tony are expensive and time consuming to produce.
And ranger teams are cheap and expendable?
The threat of the stinger missile is real, and serious. But there are defenses against it, and distance is the primary and surest defense.
I'm pretty certain that a stinger in Ukraine can't shoot down an aircraft operating in Angola.
I'm also relatively confident that as long as hostilities endure in Ukraine that they are keeping hold of the stingers they have.
Near as I can tell, the US actually sent 2000 stingers to Ukraine. Which, due to the nature of the weapon is quite a lot. But they are not everywhere. and not everyone has access to them.
Germany was also reported to have sent stingers, but a detailed report stated that the missiles sent were the Strela M.
Less reliable. Less dangerous. Older technology. Still significant...
The worldwide threat of the manpad is overstated in this context. There are a lot of them, but we have a pretty good idea who has them and who doesn't.
It's a really big planet with a lot of empty spaces. I don't yet foresee a day in which every would be troublemaker walks the desert with a shoulder fired SA guided missile.
