Igla-S MANPADS enters Thai naval service
A Thai navy operator demonstrates use of the vehicle-mounted Igla-S Dzhigit MANPADS. (Photo: Sompong Nondhasa)
The Royal Thai Navy has enhanced air defence coverage with mobile Igla-S MANPADS purchased from Russia.
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) introduced vehicle-mounted Igla-S MANPADS late last year, enhancing the Air and Coastal Defence Command’s (ACDC) ability to provide air defence coverage to key RTN areas.
The project was launched in 2021, with the RTN deciding to buy five mobile Igla-S Dzhigit short-range air defence systems from Russia for a cost of THB246 million ($8.2 million).
A key feature of the new systems is the ability to fire missiles (with a range of 500-6,000m) from a vehicle-mounted launcher or to use them as shoulder-launched weapons to achieve flexibility and speed in operations.
Previously, the ACDC had
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