Russia is continuing to modify and develop replicas of its Shahed-136 long-range unidirectional attack drone (known locally as the Geran), now equipped with man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). These are often referred to as shoulder-launched heat-seeking missiles. This development follows on from a previous version of the drone, which carried an R-60 air-to-air missile, which you can read more about here. This comes as Russia makes additional modifications to its drones, including improved line-of-sight control capabilities and self-protection systems.
The Russian military is installing Igla man-portable air defense systems on Shahed drones to target Ukrainian helicopters that intercept them. The drones carry cameras and radio modems, and the missiles are launched remotely by operators in Russia. pic.twitter.com/T5TKPHyhVu
— War Translated (@wartranslated) January 4, 2026
Examples of Shahed/Geran equipped with man-portable air defense systems can be seen in recent images, including a video showing the drone lying in the snow intact after being shot down in Ukraine, reportedly in the Chernihiv region in the north of the country. According to Ukraine, in addition to the orbital missile on top, the drone is also equipped with a camera and a radio frequency modem.
Top view of Shahed/Geran lying in the snow with an (unused) Igla man-portable air defense system on top. byX
The missile itself, widely known as the “Igla-S”, is reportedly one of the latest models of this widely used man-portable air defense system. Known as the 9K388 in Russia and the SA-24 Grinch in NATO, the weapon has a maximum range of about 3.7 miles and features improvements over the earlier Igla missile, including a more sensitive infrared seeker, a heavier warhead and an improved fuze.
On October 30, 2025, the Venezuelan military held a 9K338 Igla-S portable air defense system launcher in Caracas. Photo by Federico Parra/AFP Federico Parra
On the other hand, the inscription on the top of the launch tube appears to be 9K333, indicating that it is the more modern Verba (SA-29 Gizmo), which was developed as a replacement for the Igla. Its main advantage is its advanced multispectral seeker that operates in the ultraviolet, near-infrared and mid-infrared bands to improve target and decoy discrimination.
Adapting MANPADS to the Shahed/Geran appears to be simpler than the R-60, requiring no launch rail adapter; instead, the portable air defense system simply connects to the drone’s standard launch tube. For example, the complete Igla is also much lighter: about 40 pounds in the tube, while the R-60 weighs nearly 100 pounds minus the launch rail.
Ukrainian military radio technology expert Serhii Flash reports that Russia has begun using Shahed/Geran type long-range drones equipped with air-to-air missiles against Ukrainian aviation assets.
The wreckage of a Shahed/Geran type UAV equipped with an R-60 short-range air-to-air… pic.twitter.com/NHBDQQqCK9
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) December 1, 2025
As for drones, the original Shahed-136 was produced in Iran. Various variants and derivatives of the Shahed-136, including a jet-powered version, are currently produced in large quantities in Russian factories, where they are known as Geran (Russian for geranium). These drones have been steadily improved, including a degree of dynamic targeting capabilities, which you can read about here .
As we have discussed in the past, adding heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles to the Shaheed/Ceylan could theoretically provide the drone with a means to engage Ukrainian fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. At the very least, giving drones the ability to counter these threats provides a deterrent capability. Overall, the effectiveness of this combination is questionable. Specific challenges include the need for a high degree of situational awareness, the possible need to install cameras around the airframe, and the need to maneuver the drone into a boresight position to achieve lock-on. However, Russia clearly believes this tweak is worth exploring, if only as a deterrent tactic to deter drone-hunting aircraft.
Side view of a Shahed/Geran equipped with a man-portable air defense system lying in the snow. byX
Russia has been working on developing human-in-the-loop (MITL) control capabilities for Shahed/Geran for some time, and this capability was confirmed when they began to appear with cameras and cellular modems. TWZ It was discussed in detail at that time. These developments enable drones to connect to their operators. The standard Shahed aircraft flies to a pre-planned target on an autonomous route via autopilot, without the need for human control. They are “fire and forget” weapons.
At the same time, the scope of what MITL can achieve is steadily increasing. Initially, drones were adapted to take advantage of incomplete cellular networks to provide additional connectivity if available. Recently, Shahrz has been flying with an antenna that allows direct line-of-sight control near the front lines. This allows them to hit targets as dynamically as FPV drones, while hitting harder and being able to loiter for longer periods of time. You can read all about this development here. Now, data link range is being extended using airborne signal relay, possibly creating a mesh network with multiple line-of-sight links. We are also now seeing that Russian drones will be equipped with Starlink terminals, which could provide extremely superior over-the-horizon capabilities, which could be a big problem for Ukraine if Russia is able to mass-produce this configuration. These developments now blur Shaheed/Jehran’s classification from an original long-range unidirectional attack drone to a loitering munition with airborne imaging capabilities.
A Shahed/Geran equipped with a man-portable air defense system or an R-60 may be able to utilize over-the-horizon capabilities to operate the missile. But remember, we know Russia is using drones close to the front lines, which simply require a line-of-sight connection to an operator near the front lines, or at least a connection via a receiver/transmitter placed there. Once in the area, drone controllers from behind can also “pick up” them, but this operation is much more complex and fraught with additional risks.
Still, target acquisition and attack by guided missile drones is far from simple. The modern seeker used by the Igla-S or Verba is likely to make it easier to engage aerial targets compared to the R-60, and reduces the need to “point” the drone directly at the target. Still, the operator must trigger the missile launch after receiving a signal indicating that lock has been achieved.
Close-up of the front end of the portable air defense system, where an actuator is installed to open the protective cover covering the front of the tube before missile launch. byX
Meanwhile, the Shahed/Geran remains a slow and not particularly agile launch platform, and certainly not one designed for air-to-air combat. Adding top-mounted missiles may also reduce its maneuverability and affect its stability, but this is less than the case with the R-60.
When it comes to finding aerial targets, the most likely scenario will be to operate entirely reactively based on the visuals on the cameras surrounding the drone, or to otherwise seek out targets of opportunity. Another option would be for the drone operator to receive targeting information from off-board assets (if applicable), but this seems unlikely.
Taking into account the performance of the Shahed/Geran and the range of the man-portable air defense system, the most likely targets are the Mi-8/Mi-17 Hip series of armed transport helicopters and the Mi-24 Hind series of armed helicopters that often perform anti-drone missions. We have seen that lower and slower flying helicopters face significant risks from relatively small kamikaze drones that simply fly towards them. Ukraine’s F-16s, MiG-29s, Su-27s and Mirage 2000s also shoulder the Shahd Hunter role, but it will be more difficult to engage the fighters with these weapons. Still, their presence adds a credible threat to warriors approaching them.
Video shows the door gunner on board a Ukrainian Air Force Mil Mi-8 multi-role helicopter using his M134 minigun to shoot down a Russian Shahed-136 attack drone. pic.twitter.com/UWBd8QUXEf
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 12, 2025
While it remains to be seen how well the Shahed/Geran will work when combined with a man-portable air defense system (or R-60), these developments reflect previous precedent for arming drones with air-to-air missiles. This deterrent effect can be seen in at least one instance in 2002, when a U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator drone fired a Stinger heat-seeking missile at an Iraqi MiG-25 Foxbat fighter that was trying to shoot it down, which can be seen in the video below.
These measures also indicate Russia’s efforts to better defend the Shaheed/Jalan drones. Another recent development involves a significant increase in infrared countermeasures to defeat missiles that may be launched by drone interceptors and fighter jets. They are mounted on the rear of the drone’s stabilizing end plate and appear to use electrically heated cylindrical blocks to generate large amounts of infrared energy, much like the Hot Brick system.
Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian military radio technology expert and consultant, reports that Russian Geran-2 drones are now capable of blinding interception drones and aircraft.
According to him, the Russians are equipping their attack drones with infrared searchlights… pic.twitter.com/dtpnbKIklE
— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) January 3, 2026
Currently, we have no evidence that a missile-equipped Shahd/Ceylan attempted to engage a Ukrainian aircraft, let alone shoot down one. However, possessing long-range one-way attack drones equipped with anti-aircraft missiles presents another complicating factor for Ukraine and illustrates the continued improvements to these weapons.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
