Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Air and Coastal Defence Command (ACDC) has exhibited Russian Dzhigit support launching unit (SLU) with two Igla-S Man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) short-range surface-to-air missile system during tactical live fire exercise for Fiscal Year 2023 on 23-25 January 2023. During the visit to ACDC at Sattahip Subdistrict, Sattahip District, Chonburi Province of the Commander of the Royal Thai Navy and his group on 23 January 2023 and then tactical firearms training with real ammunition at the weapons shooting range Hat Yao Thung Prong, Sattahip District, Chonburi Province, has exhibited and demonstrated several new air defense systems.
The new two Igla-S mobile close-range anti-aircraft missile system on the Russian Dzhigit-style launcher. Thairung TR Transformer 4×4 family trucks who are engaged in training as a battalion unit of the 11th Air Defense Battalion, 12th Air Defense Battalion, 21st Air Defense Battalion, and 1st Air Defense Regiment. Equipped with a shoulder-to-air missile launcher, two Russian Igla-S are installed on the rear of the Thairung Transformer 4×4 family of trucks that are reinforced with protective armor and are equipped with a Snorkel tube for movement in the water which is installed in Thailand.
The 9K38 Igla (Needle, NATO reporting name SA-18 Grouse) is a Russian/Soviet man-portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. A simplified, earlier version is known as the 9K310 Igla-1 (NATO: SA-16 Gimlet), and the latest variant is the 9K338 Igla-S (SA-24 Grinch). The Igla-1 entered service in 1981, the Igla in 1983, and the Igla-S in 2004. The Igla has been supplemented by the 9K333 Verba since 2014. Igla-S, sometimes referred as Igla-Super. It is an improved variant in the Igla, which entered service with Russian Army in 2004. It is known in the West as SA-24 Grinch.
The Igla-S man-portable air defense system is designed to defeat all types of visible fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft on head-on and in pursuit courses as well as small aerial targets like cruise missiles around the clock under induced thermal and background noise. High universality of the system allows you to launch missiles using: starting mechanism; Dzhigit support launcher; Strelets set of equipment and launch modules (allow launching missiles from various mobile carriers) and Komar turret installation. Implementation of the principle of “shoot-and-forget”, high survivability and stealth of combat work.
