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Iran Trains Militia Members on Portable Anti-Aircraft Missiles
Iran's IRGC force has begun training Basij militia members to operate shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. The missiles have been used against U.S. and Israeli aircraft during the 2026 war.
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Iran's IRGC force has started training members of its Basij militia in the use of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles known as MANPADS. The missiles have damaged and downed U.S. and Israeli warplanes and drones during the 2026 war. Iran has manufactured MANPADS, or man-portable air defense systems, since the 1980s.
The Iranian-made Misagh missile has been called the "F-18 hunter." Iranian MANPADS missiles are reported to have damaged an American F-18 fighter on March 25, 2026, and to have brought down an American F-15E on April 13, with the two-man crew ejecting.
The @Observers obtained copies of videos and PDFs distributed to Basij members outlining the use of the shoulder-mounted weapons and tactics to maximize their effectiveness on the ground.
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