Confirmed characteristics: Russian MANPADS in Special Operations
Russian anti-aircraft gunner with Verba MANPADS in position
The Russian army has a developed system of air defense forces, including all the necessary components. Portable anti-aircraft guns are of great importance in it. missile complexes of current models. During the current Special Operation, MANPADS confirm their capabilities and effectively combat air targets of various classes, including the most complex ones.
Experience of application
At present, the main MANPADS of the Russian army are products of several types of the Igla family, created in the distant past, and the Verba system, which entered service only a few years ago. According to the staff, such weapons are available to various units and complement the longer-range self-propelled systems of the military Defense.
Together with other modern anti-aircraft systems, MANPADS are present in the Special Operation area and have been used since its very beginning. Such weapons are actively used and show their potential in full-fledged combat operations. We have accumulated extensive experience in using missiles against various targets and in different conditions.
During the fighting, operators of portable air defense systems had to deal with various air targets. So, at the first stages of the Special Operations, MANPADS mainly worked on front-line and army aviation enemy, who managed to pass through other echelons of military air defense. By joint efforts, anti-aircraft systems, self-propelled and portable, inflicted great damage on enemy aircraft.
In recent months, the range of targets has changed noticeably. Now MANPADS are more often used against unmanned aerial vehicles. Having lost a large number of planes and helicopters, the enemy is trying to solve reconnaissance and combat missions with the help of UAVs. However, Russian MANPADS have shown their ability to hit such targets, which further worsens the enemy’s position.
The Ministry of Defense regularly reports on the results of the use of MANPADS and the successes of anti-aircraft gunners. At the same time, using such reports it is possible to track the processes of destruction and degradation of Ukrainian aviation. Thus, the last report of a defeat by a portable air defense system appeared in early July - the Igla operator shot down a Su-25 attack aircraft. The latest episode of the destruction of a Mi-24 helicopter by such MANPADS occurred at the end of the same month.
With all this, missiles are regularly launched at enemy UAVs. The new Verba complex shows the best efficiency in this case. In recent months, its typical targets have been the Ukrainian Furia, Leleka and other models of the same class. The destruction of such targets is regularly mentioned in Ministry of Defense reports.
Other people's failures
It should be recalled that the enemy is also armed with MANPADS. Since the times of the USSR, a large number of Strela-2 and Igla products of various modifications have remained in Ukrainian arsenals. In addition, in the recent past, and before the start of the Special Operation, deliveries of similar weapons from abroad began. A number of countries provided Soviet-style MANPADS, while the United States and its allies provided NATO weapon. The existing arsenals were supplemented with a large number of Stinger, Mistral, Starstreak, etc. products.
Launch: the rocket leaves the tube
At every opportunity, the enemy actively uses existing systems against Russian aviation - front-line, army and unmanned. In some cases, the consumption of ammunition is high. Thus, in the first weeks of the Special Operation, there were episodes of launching at least 5-10 missiles at one helicopter. However, active opposition from aviation, the destruction of weapons depots and other factors are now forcing Ukrainian operators to save ammunition.
It is noteworthy that enemy portable air defense systems show low efficiency. Not every rocket launch is successful. Only a few products hit our aircraft and cause them serious damage. Helicopters also sometimes return with small holes, but without significant damage. A significant part of the missiles simply passes by due to active opposition.
Potential of the complexes
The latest domestic developments in the field of MANPADS are the 9K338 “Igla-S” and 9K333 “Verba” products. By now, with the production and use and decommissioning of older complexes, they have become the main weapon of their class in our army. A large number of older Igla-S systems remain in the arsenals, and full-fledged mass production of new Verb systems is also underway.
Complexes of the Igla family, incl. the last 3K338 are built according to the traditional scheme for such products. A combat-ready MANPADS includes a missile in a launch tube-container, a removable trigger mechanism, a power source and some other means. Preparation for launch and firing are carried out by one anti-aircraft gunner operator.
The combat operation of MANPADS can be provided by portable radars
The enemy faces similar problems in attempts to attack our aircraft. His old-manufactured MANPADS, both Soviet and foreign, were viewed as potential threats. Russian designers took them into account when creating modern means of protection, from decoys to airborne defense systems.
Of great interest is the use of MANPADS for unmanned aerial vehicles of light and medium class. Such targets are most often equipped with electric motors, which differ from other propulsion systems with a smaller thermal signature. Nevertheless, a modern multi-range cooled seeker is capable of detecting and tracking even such a complex target in any conditions. A relatively light warhead of an anti-aircraft missile is guaranteed to destroy such a UAV.
It should be noted that when using any weapon, the training and skills of its user are of great importance. "Igla-S" and "Verba" are no exception. Their effective use and large combat accounts are the direct merit of the MANPADS operators participating in the operation and their teachers.
Practice and results
The Russian army has a developed military air defense, including all the necessary components and means, starting from man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems. All elements of this system now ensure the security of troops in the combat zone, as well as civilian infrastructure and the population of the liberated territories.
Modern domestic MANPADS have high tactical and technical characteristics, and we are talking not only about “tabular” parameters in field conditions, but also about real capabilities. This allows anti-aircraft gunners to successfully complete assigned tasks and protect troops and the population. In addition, “Igla-S” and “Verba” are now helping to accumulate valuable experience in combat use, which will further ensure the creation of the next generation of MANPADS.
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