Russian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones now carry MANPADS missiles

Russia continues to adapt and develop copies of its Shahid-136 long-range unilateral attack drone, known locally as Geran, armed with man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). These are often called shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles. The development follows an earlier version of the drone carrying a single R-60 air-to-air missile, which you can read more about here. It also appears that Russia will make further changes to the drone, including improved line-of-sight control capabilities and self-defense systems.

The Russian military is mounting Igla manpads on Shahed drones to intercept Ukrainian helicopters. The drones carry cameras and radio modems, and the missile is launched remotely by an operator over Russian territory. pic.twitter.com/T5TKPHyhVu

– War Translated (@wartranslated) January 4, 2026

An example of a MANPADS-equipped Shahed/Geran has been shown in recent imagery, including a video, which shows the drone in the Chernihiv region in the north of the country, after coming down intact in Ukraine. According to Ukrainian accounts, in addition to the rail-mounted missile on top, the drone is equipped with a camera and radio-frequency modem.

Among the latest models of this widespread MANPADS the missile itself is widely reported as the Igla-S. Known in Russia as the 9K388, and in NATO as the SA-24 Grinch, the weapon has a maximum range of about 3.7 miles, and improvements over earlier Igla missiles include a more sensitive infrared seeker, a heavier warhead, and an improved fuse.

On the other hand, the inscription on the top of the launch tube appears to read 9K333, indicating that it is a more modern Verba (SA-29 Gizmo), which was developed as a replacement for the Igla. Its primary advantage is its advanced multispectral seeker, operating in the ultraviolet, near-infrared, and mid-infrared bands, for discrimination between targets and decoys.

Adapting the MANPADS to the Shahed/Geran seems more straightforward than the R-60, without the need for a launch rail adapter; Instead, MANPADS are attached to the drone inside its standard launch tube. For example, the complete Igla is also very light: about 40 pounds in its tube, compared to close to 100 pounds for the R-60, minus the launch rail.

Russia began using long-range UAVs of the Shahed/Geran type equipped with air-to-air missiles to fight against Ukrainian aviation assets, Ukrainian military radio technology expert Serhiy Flash reports.

The R-60 is a short-range air-to-air drone of the Shahed/Geran type… pic.twitter.com/NHBDQQqCK9

– Status-6 (War and Military News) (@Archer83Able) December 1, 2025

As for drones, the original Shahad-136 is of Iranian origin. Many variants and derivatives of the Shahed-136, including the jet-powered type, are now mass-produced in Russian factories, where they are known locally as Geran, the Russian word for geranium. These drones have been steadily improved, including a degree of dynamic targeting capability, which you can read about here.

As we’ve discussed in the past, theoretically adding a heat-seeking anti-aircraft missile to the Shahad/Geran would provide drones with a means to engage Ukrainian fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. At the very least, giving drones the ability to strike back at these threats provides a deterrent. Overall, the effectiveness of this combination is questionable. Particular challenges include the need for a high level of situational awareness, perhaps requiring cameras around the airframe, and the need for maneuverability to maneuver the drone into the boresight location to achieve lock-on. However, Russia apparently considers adaptation worth exploring as a deterrent strategy to keep drone hunting aircraft at bay.

For some time now, Russia has been working on a man-in-the-loop (MITL) control capability for Shahed/Geran, a feature that was confirmed when they started showing up with cameras and cellular modems, some. TWZ was explored in detail at that time. These developments allow the drone to connect to the operator. Standard Shaheds fly autonomous routes to pre-planned targets on autopilot with no man-in-the-loop control. They are ‘fire and forget’ weapons.

Meanwhile, the range in which MITL can be achieved has steadily increased. Initially, drones were adapted to exploit patchy cellular networks to provide more connectivity when available. More recently, Shaheds have been flying with antennas that allow for direct line-of-sight control near the front lines. This allows them to hit targets as dynamically as an FPV drone, while packing a much heavier punch and being able to linger longer. You can read all about this development here. Now, datalink range is being extended using airborne signal relays, possibly creating a mesh network with multiple line-of-sight links. We are also now seeing that Russian drones will be Starlink terminals, which could provide very high-line-of-sight capability and could prove a big problem for Ukraine if Russia can mass-produce such a configuration. These developments are now blurring the Shahed/Geran classification from its original long-range unilateral attack drone to a loitering gunship with onboard imaging capability.

Potentially, a Shahad/Geran armed with MANPADS or R-60 could use line-of-sight capabilities to operate the missile. But bearing in mind we know Russia is using drones close to the front lines, it only needs a line-of-sight link with operators near the front, or at least with receivers/transmitters placed there. Drone controllers behind the lines could also ‘pick them up’ once in the field, but such an operation is more complex and fraught with additional risks.

However, target acquisition and engagement of missile-armed drones is still far from straightforward. It is possible that the modern seeker used by the Igla-S or Verba would make it easier to engage aerial targets, compared to the R-60, with less need to ‘point’ the drone directly at the target. Still, the operator must trigger the missile launch after receiving an indication that lock-on has been achieved.

At the same time, the Shahed/Geran remains a slow and particularly agile launch platform, and certainly not designed with air-to-air combat in mind. Adding a top-mounted missile would also reduce its mobility and affect its stability, but less so than in the case of the R-60.

When it comes to finding aerial targets, a possible scenario involves the drone being visually visible to surrounding cameras or otherwise operating purely reactively in search of targets of opportunity. Another option involves the drone operator receiving targeting information from offshore assets, where applicable, but this appears less likely.

Given the Shahad/Geran’s performance and range of MANPADS, the most likely targets would be the Mi-8/Mi-17 Hind series of armored transport helicopters and the Mi-24 Hind series of gunships that are routinely employed in counter-drone missions. We have already seen that low and slow-flying helicopters face considerable risk from the relatively small kamikaze drones that fly into them. Ukrainian F-16s, MiG-29s, Su-27s and Mirage 2000s have also been employed as ‘martyr hunters’, but engaging fighters with these weapons will be more difficult. Yet their existence would add a credible threat to fighters approaching them.

Footage shows a door gunner on a Ukrainian Air Force Mil Mi-8 multirole helicopter using its M134 Minigun to shoot down a Russian Shahid-136 attack drone. pic.twitter.com/UWBd8QUXEf

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 12, 2025

How effective the combination of Shahed/Geran with MANPADS (or R-60) is remains to be seen, but these developments reflect previous precedent of arming drones with air-to-air missiles. Its deterrent effect can be seen in at least one incident from 2002, when a US Air Force MQ-1 Predator drone fired a Stinger heat-seeking anti-air missile at an Iraqi MiG-25 Foxbat fighter as seen in the video below.

These measures are also indicative of Russia’s efforts to better protect its Shahed/Geran drones. Another recent development includes drone interceptors and the apparent addition of infrared countermeasures to defeat potential missiles fired by fighters. Attached to the back of the drone’s stabilizing endplate, it appears to use electrically heated cylindrical blocks to generate blooming infrared energy, similar to a hot brick system.

Ukrainian military radio technology expert and consultant Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov reported that Russian Geran-2 drones are now capable of blind interceptor drones and aircraft.

According to him, the Russians are equipping their strike UAVs with infrared searchlights.… pic.twitter.com/dtpnbKIklE

— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) January 3, 2026

For now, we have no evidence of a missile-equipped Shahed/Geran trying to engage a Ukrainian plane, let alone bring one down. However, long-range unilateral attack drones fitted with air defense missiles provide another complicating factor for Ukraine and illustrate ongoing modifications to these weapons.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com