Igla

The 9K38 "Igla" (Russian 9?38 "?????" - needle) is a Russian/Soviet man-portable infra-red homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. Its NATO reporting name is SA-18 Grouse. The most advanced version, the Igla, has an all-aspect engagement capability.

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A variant is the 9K310 "Igla-1", which has the NATO reporting name SA-16 Gimlet.

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The Igla-M (NATO SA-N-10 Grouse) is a naval variant.

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Development of the Igla short-range man-portable air defence missile (MANPADS) began in the Kolomna OKB in 1971. Contrary to what is commonly reported, the Igla is not an improved version of the earlier Strela family (Strela-2/SA-7 and Strela-3/SA-14), but an all new project. The main goals were to create a missile with better resistance to countermeasures and wider engagement envelope than the earlier Strela series MANPADS systems.

Russia: The Russian Federation (, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: ???????, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of Europe and Asia. With an area of 17,075,400 km? (6,595,600 mi?), it is the largest coun...

Soviet: REDIRECT Soviet Union...

Infra-red homing: REDIRECT infrared homing...