SA-24 Grinch
Man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS), third generation+
Developed Igla (in service 2002–2004, sources differ) with longer range, a warhead more than twice as heavy and extra detectors around the seeker against pulsed IR jammers on helicopters. Fired from the shoulder, the Dzhigit twin launcher and the Strelets vehicle system. Widely exported (incl. India, Venezuela, Egypt) and used in combat in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, including against Bayraktar drones.
Learn more in the AirDefense Academy →Dimensionsfor imagery analysis
- Missile (L × Ø, span)
- 9M342: 1.635 m × Ø 72 mm; 11.7 kg
- System
- 19 kg ready to fire
- Dimension source
- US Army TRADOC Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)
General
- Role
- Last layer, man-portable; also Dzhigit and the Strelets vehicle system
- Manufacturer
- KBM (Kolomna)
- In service
- 2002 per state trials, 2004 per other sources — sources differ
- Users
- incl. Russia, India (orders 2021, 2023), Venezuela (> 5,000 missiles, Oct 2025), Egypt, Iran (reported)
- System weight
- 19 kg; missile 11.7 kg
Weapon
- Missile
- 9M342
- Guidance
- Infrared, dual-band, with extra detectors against pulsed IR jammers
- Range
- ≈ 3.2 NM (max)
- Altitude
- up to ≈ 11,500 ft (shared Igla value; no Igla-S-specific figure found)
- Warhead
- 2.5 kg (585 g HMX), delayed impact fuze
- Hit probability
- 0.8–0.9 per the manufacturer — manufacturer claim
Warning & threat
- RWR
- No — passive; only a MAWS sees the launch
- Combat record
- Libya 2011 and 2015 (MiG-23UB), Nagorno-Karabakh 2014 (Mi-24) and 2020 (against TB2 drones), Ukraine
- Countermeasure
- Altitude, DIRCM (modern laser DIRCM, not lamp), flares limited
- Threat level
- Medium-high — the most widespread modern Russian MANPADS
News archive 2
Analysed reports from the RU Mil Tracker about this system, newest first. Archive since 2026-07-17.
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Unmarked shoulder-fired SAM, possibly Chinese QW-18A/QW-19, seen in Russian air defense service
Russian state TV (Rossiya 1) aired footage of a mobile fire group of the 51st Air Defense Division during an exercise in Rostov region, showing a shoulder-fired missile launcher that matches no MANPADS known in Russian service (such as Igla-S or Verba). The soldiers called the weapon "Iva". The footage was shared on X by @TheDeadDistrict, and the Ukrainian…
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Why Did russian Ka-52 Helicopter Fail to Shoot Down Ukrainian FP-1 UAV with Missile, What Alternatives do russians Have
SINGLE SOURCE — Ukrainian publication (Defense Express), not independently corroborated.