9K38 Igla (RS-SA-18 Grouse)

The 9K38 Igla is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) designed to engage low-flying aerial targets such as helicopters and aircraft. It is a shoulder-launched, infrared homing surface-to-air missile system.

Development of the 9K38 Igla began in the early 1970s to succeed the Strela series, aiming to create a missile with superior resistance to countermeasures and improved performance against fast-moving targets. The simplified Igla-1 variant entered Soviet service in 1981, followed by the fully capable 9K38 Igla in 1983. The system has seen extensive combat deployment worldwide, including during the Gulf War, various conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Today, the Igla remains one of the most widely exported MANPADS in history, serving in dozens of militaries and laying the groundwork for successor systems like the 9K333 Verba.