Independent engineer Alisher Khojayev published a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) prototype to GitHub on March 11, 2026, drawing scrutiny from security officials who say the project signals how little now separates consumer electronics from functional guided weapons systems.
The prototype, assembled for $96 using a consumer-grade 3D printer and off-the-shelf electronics, functions as a shoulder-fired guided rocket launcher.
The system uses two ESP32 microcontrollers, an MPU6050 inertial measurement unit, a NEO-6M GPS module, a QMC5883L compass, and a BMP180 barometric sensor.
Flight stabilization runs through a proportional-derivative control loop that adjusts canard control surfaces during flight. Structural components were designed in Fusion 360 and analyzed with OpenRocket for aerodynamic stability.
Khojayev outlined a broader development concept alongside the prototype. Future iterations could integrate with distributed camera-node networks generating real-time XYZ coordinates of airborne targets and transmitting that data to the missile during flight, according to the project documentation published on GitHub.
The contrast with fielded military systems is significant. The FIM-92 Stinger, a shoulder-launched infrared-guided missile used by U.S. and allied forces, costs approximately $480,000 per unit according to U.S. Army procurement records.
Iron Dome interceptor missiles carry an estimated per-unit cost of $20,000 to $100,000, based on figures cited in U.S. Congressional budget analyses.
The U.S. Air Force’s Counter-Air Missile Program (CAMP), an initiative targeting lower guided-missile production costs, still aims at prices in the several-hundred-thousand-dollar range.
The project continues a documented trajectory of additive manufacturing entering weapons development. European defense company MBDA already incorporates 3D-printed components in its missile systems to shorten production timelines. Ukraine has deployed low-cost 3D-printed weapons at scale, including SkyFall’s P1-Sun interceptor drone, which the company says can reach 450 kilometers per hour and is designed to counter cruise missiles and Iranian-made Shahed-series drones.
The GitHub repository had accumulated over 1,400 stars and 358 forks as of March 17, 2026. SOFX has not independently verified the prototype’s operational flight performance.
I’m not qualified to have an opinion about the quality of the build, but my question is does this blueprint include any sort of warhead? Building a smart rocket is cool, but it’s not a weapon without a warhead.
It absolutely does not include a warhead or plans for a warhead. That would require an upscale to probably 60% and a much larger motor.
they already scrubbed the 3d files for this?