Fliegerfaust

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	Weapon: Fliegerfaust Type: Man-Portable Rocket Launcher Country of Origin: Germany Year Adopted: 1945 Overall Length (mm): 1100.0 Overall Length (in): 43.31 Weight (kg): 4.00 Weight (pounds): 8.82

The Fliegerfaust, also known as the "Luftfaust," was a German prototype multi-barrel rocket launcher developed during World War II for anti-aircraft purposes. Designed in 1944 by Hugo Schneider AG (HASAG), the weapon featured either four or nine barrels, depending on the model, and fired small unguided 20 mm or 30 mm rockets. The Fliegerfaust was intended to provide infantry units with a portable solution to engage low-flying aircraft, particularly Allied fighters and bombers that posed a constant threat. The weapon used a unique ignition system, firing its rockets in rapid succession to create a dense cloud of projectiles.

Production of the Fliegerfaust was limited, with only about 10,000 units produced by the end of the war. Its effectiveness in combat was hampered by technical issues, such as the rockets' inaccuracy and the weapon's limited range, which was only about 500 meters. The war's progression and the overwhelming dominance of Allied air power also restricted the Fliegerfaust's operational use. It was deployed in very small numbers late in the war, primarily in urban defensive battles, where its effectiveness against fast-moving aircraft was minimal but it could still be used as an improvised anti-personnel weapon.

Despite its limited deployment, the Fliegerfaust is notable as one of the earliest attempts at a man-portable, rocket-based air defense system. Its innovative design and concept would inspire post-war development of portable surface-to-air missile systems like the MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems). The Fliegerfaust's notoriety lies in its status as a precursor to modern anti-aircraft technology rather than its battlefield performance. Today, surviving examples are rare and highly prized by collectors and museums, serving as a testament to the ingenuity and desperation of late-war German military engineering.