Rapier is a surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army to replace their towed Bofors anti-aircraft guns. The system uses a manual optical guidance system, sending guidance commands to the missile in flight over a radio link. This results in a high level of accuracy.

The initial Rapier system took the form of a two-wheeled launcher carrying four missiles, an optical tracker unit, a generator, and a trailer of reserve missiles. The launcher consists of a vertical cylindrical unit carrying two missiles on each side, the surveillance radar dish and identification system under a radome on top, the guidance computer and radar electronics at the bottom, and a prominent parabolic antenna for sending guidance commands to the missiles on the front.