Russia is continuous to adapt and evolve its copies of the Shahed-136 long-range one-way assault drone, recognized regionally because the Geran, now arming it with a man-portable air protection system (MANPADS). These are extra also known as shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles. The event follows a earlier model of the drone carrying a single R-60 air-to-air missile, which you’ll be able to learn extra about right here. It additionally emerges as Russia makes further alterations to the drone, together with improved line-of-sight management capabilities and self-protection programs.
Russian forces are mounting Igla MANPADS on Shahed drones to focus on Ukrainian helicopters that intercept them. The drones carry a digital camera and radio modem, and the missile is launched remotely by an operator in Russian territory. pic.twitter.com/T5TKPHyhVu
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) January 4, 2026
An instance of a MANPADS-equipped Shahed/Geran is seen in current imagery, together with a video, that reveals the drone mendacity within the snow, after it got here down intact in Ukraine, reportedly within the Chernihiv area within the north of the nation. Based on Ukrainian accounts, in addition to the rail-mounted missile on the highest, the drone is supplied with a digital camera and a radio-frequency modem.
The missile itself has been extensively reportedly as an Igla-S, among the many newest fashions of this widespread MANPADS. Identified in Russia because the 9K388, and to NATO because the SA-24 Grinch, the weapon has a most vary of round 3.7 miles, and enhancements over earlier Igla missiles embrace a extra delicate infrared seeker, a heavier warhead, and an improved fuze.
A member of the Venezuelan army holds a 9K338 Igla-S MANPADS launcher in Caracas on October 30, 2025. Photograph by Federico PARRA / AFP FEDERICO PARRA
Then again, the inscription on the highest of the launch tube seems to learn 9K333, which might point out it’s the extra fashionable Verba (SA-29 Gizmo), which was developed as a substitute for the Igla. Its main benefit is its superior multispectral seeker, working within the ultraviolet, close to infrared, and mid-infrared bands, for improved discrimination between targets and decoys.
Adapting the MANPADS to the Shahed/Geran seems extra easy than the R-60, without having for the launch rail adapter; as an alternative, the MANPADS is just hooked up to the drone inside its customary launch tube. The whole Igla, for instance, can also be a lot lighter: round 40 kilos in its tube, in comparison with near 100 kilos for the R-60, minus the launch rail.
Russia began using Shahed/Geran-type long-range UAVs outfitted with air-to-air missiles for combating Ukrainian aviation property, Ukrainian army radio expertise skilled Serhii Flash studies.
The stays of a Shahed/Geran-type drone with an R-60 short-range air-to-air… pic.twitter.com/NHBDQQqCK9
— Standing-6 (Conflict & Army Information) (@Archer83Able) December 1, 2025
As for the drone, the unique Shahed-136 is Iranian in origin. A number of variants and derivatives of the Shahed-136, together with a jet-powered sort, are actually produced in massive numbers in Russian factories, the place they’re recognized regionally by the title Geran, the Russian phrase for geranium. Regular enhancements have been made to those drones, together with a level of dynamic focusing on functionality, as you may examine right here.
As now we have mentioned previously, including a heat-seeking anti-aircraft missile to the Shahed/Geran in principle offers the drone with a method to interact Ukrainian fixed-wing plane and helicopters. On the very least, giving the drone the flexibility to hit again at these threats presents a deterrent functionality. Total, the effectiveness of this mix is questionable. Explicit challenges embrace the necessity for a excessive diploma of situational consciousness, maybe requiring cameras across the airframe, and the necessity to maneuver the drone to get it right into a boresight location to realize a lock-on. Nevertheless, Russia clearly considers that the difference is price exploring, even simply as a deterrent technique to hold drone looking plane at bay.
For a while now, Russia has been engaged on a man-in-the-loop (MITL) management functionality for the Shahed/Geran, a characteristic that was confirmed once they began to look with cameras and mobile modems, one thing TWZ explored intimately on the time. These developments enable the drone to be linked to an operator. Customary Shaheds fly autonomous routes to pre-planned targets on autopilot with no man-in-the-loop management. They’re ‘fireplace and overlook’ weapons.
In the meantime, the vary at which MITL will be achieved has been steadily elevated. At first, the drones have been tailored to use patchy mobile networks to supply further connectivity when obtainable. Extra not too long ago, Shaheds have been flying with antennas permitting for direct line-of-sight management near the entrance traces. This permits them to hit targets dynamically like an FPV drone, whereas packing a a lot heavier punch and having the ability to loiter for lengthy intervals of time. You may learn all about this improvement right here. Now, the datalink vary is being prolonged utilizing airborne sign relays, probably making a mesh community with a number of line-of-sight hyperlinks. We’re additionally now seeing Russian drones will Starlink terminals, which might present a vastly superior beyond-line-of-sight functionality and will show to be an enormous downside for Ukraine if Russia can produce such a configuration in massive volumes. These developments are actually blurring the classification of the Shahed/Geran from its unique long-range one-way assault drone to a loitering munition, with an onboard imaging functionality.
Probably, a Shahed/Geran armed with a MANPADS or an R-60 might use beyond-line-of-sight capabilities to function the missile. However allowing for we all know Russia is utilizing the drones nearer to the entrance traces, this would want solely a line-of-sight hyperlink with operators close to the entrance, or not less than by receivers/transmitters positioned there. Drone controllers behind the traces might additionally ‘decide them up’ as soon as within the space, however such an operation is way extra complicated and fraught with further dangers.
Nonetheless, goal acquisition and engagement of a missile-armed drone continues to be removed from easy. It’s seemingly that the trendy seeker utilized by the Igla-S or Verba makes it simpler to interact aerial targets, in comparison with the R-60, with a diminished have to ‘level’ the drone instantly on the goal. Nonetheless, the operator must set off the launch of the missile after receiving the sign indicating a lock-on has been achieved.
On the identical time, the Shahed/Geran stays a sluggish and never significantly agile launch platform, and positively not one which was designed with air-to-air fight in thoughts. Including a top-mounted missile seemingly additionally degrades its maneuverability and impacts its stability, however lower than can be the case with an R-60.
In relation to discovering aerial targets, the almost definitely situation includes working fully reactively to what’s seen visually on cameras across the drone or in any other case looking for targets of alternative. An alternative choice would contain the drone operator receiving goal data from offboard property, the place relevant, however this appears much less seemingly.
Allowing for the efficiency of the Shahed/Geran and the vary of the MANPADS, the almost definitely targets can be the Mi-8/Mi-17 Hip sequence armed transport helicopters and the Mi-24 Hind sequence gunships which are routinely tasked with counter-drone missions. We have now already seen that decrease and slower-flying helicopters face a notable danger from comparatively small kamikaze drones that merely fly into them. Ukrainian F-16s, MiG-29s, Su-27s and Mirage 2000s have additionally been tasked closely as ‘Shahed hunters,’ however partaking fighters with these weapons can be even harder. Nonetheless their very existence would add a reputable menace to fighters approaching them.
Footage displaying the door gunner on a Mil Mi-8 Multirole Helicopter with the Ukrainian Air Pressure utilizing his M134 Minigun to shoot down a Russian Shahed-136 Assault Drone. pic.twitter.com/UWBd8QUXEf
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 12, 2025
Whereas it stays to be seen simply how efficient the mixture of Shahed/Geran with a MANPADS (or R-60) is, these developments mirror a earlier precedent for arming drones with air-to-air missiles. The deterrent impact of this may be seen in not less than one occasion from 2002, when a U.S. Air Pressure MQ-1 Predator drone fired a Stinger heat-seeking anti-air missile at an Iraqi MiG-25 Foxbat fighter that was attempting to shoot it down, which will be seen within the video beneath.
These measures are additionally indicative of efforts being made by Russia to raised defend the Shahed/Geran drones. One other current improvement includes the obvious addition of infrared countermeasures to defeat drone interceptors and potential missiles fired by fighters. Hooked up to the rear of the drone’s stabilizing endplates, these seem to make use of electrically heated cylindrical blocks to generate blooming infrared vitality, just like the Sizzling Brick system.
Ukrainian army radio expertise specialist and marketing consultant Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov reported that Russian Geran-2 drones are actually able to blinding interceptor drones and plane.
Based on him, the Russians are equipping their strike UAVs with infrared searchlights.… pic.twitter.com/dtpnbKIklE
— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) January 3, 2026
For now, now we have no proof of a missile-equipped Shahed/Geran making an attempt to interact a Ukrainian plane, not to mention bringing one down. Nevertheless, having long-range one-way assault drones fitted with air protection missiles offers one other complicating issue for Ukraine and illustrates the continued modifications being made to those weapons.
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